TownTalk: Henderson Mayor And City Council Sworn In

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Henderson Mayor Melissa Elliott made history Monday night when she was sworn in as the first woman and the first Black to hold the city’s highest office.

The Henderson City Council chambers and lobby area was standing-room only, filled with family, friends and dignitaries to witness the historic swearing-in ceremony.

With her left hand on a Bible – held by her mother – Elliott raised her right hand and repeated the oath of office administered by Judge Henry Banks.

Four newly elected City Council members also were sworn in Monday as part of the regular monthly meeting of the council.

Geraldine Champion (Ward 1), Sam Seifert (Ward 2), Michael Venable (Ward 3 at-large) and Tami Walker (Ward 4 at-large) were installed and took their seats alongside current members Garry Daeke, Ola Thorpe-Cooper, Lamont Noel and Sara Coffey.

Outgoing Council members Mike Rainey and Marion Brodie Williams shared brief remarks during the meeting; Jason Spriggs was not present.

Banks also administered the oath of office for Seifert, Venable and Walker; Judge Ben Hunter administered the office for Champion.

The first action taken by the reorganized Council was to elect a Mayor Pro Tem. Ward 3’s Daeke was elected unanimously to that role.

In his final remarks as mayor, Ellington said he and Elliott both began their terms on the Council in 2015, adding that they were seated beside one another in Council meetings. “We’ve always been there together when we left …City Hall,” he recalled. He thanked city staff, including former City Manager Frank Frazier who also was in attendance Monday. Ellington accepted a gavel as a parting gift from the Council.

Brodie Williams challenged the incoming Council members “to not just work for your particular ward but the entire city – everyone and everybody. Lean on your mayor and manager and seasoned Council members,” she said. And remember to “do your research.”

Rainey, who joined the Council in 2003, said he had met a lot of people and seen a lot of changes during his 20-year tenure. He recalled the late Mary Emma Evans, former City Council member, who was fond of saying “it’s OK to disagree, but you don’t have to be disagreeable.”

After months of campaigning for the Oct. 3 election among a field of five candidates, Elliott found herself in a runoff with political newcomer and local businessman Greg Etheridge in the November election – an election she easily won by 300 votes. About 20 percent of the city’s registered voters voted in the October election, and 29 percent came out to vote in the runoff.

Just after the runoff Elliott said, “I’m elated…overwhelmed with joy,” about the election outcome.

“I am a servant leader,” Elliott said, and she plans to serve the community at-large and all people.

“Everyone was so wonderful…so much encouragement,” she said. There were “so many people that wouldn’t allow me to quit. I’m thankful for this historic moment in time,” but she said she also looks to the future for the city.

 

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Perry Memorial Library

The Local Skinny! Events At Perry Library

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Programs at Perry Memorial Library will be slowing down next week as Christmas approaches, and things were going to be “up in the air” – literally – today at 4 p.m., when the StoryUp! Aerial Theater of Durham comes to town for a performance.

It’s something new for 2023, said Youth Services Director Melody Peters, and that’s just the start for new programs and events for the New Year at the library.

“We’ve got some new things coming,” Peters said on Tuesday’s segment of The Local Skinny! with WIZS co-host Bill Harris. “We’re really excited about that.”

In addition to resuming regular programs like the Mother Goose story time on Thursday mornings, the library will host a community read-aloud on Monday nights beginning in January.

Peters said she hears patrons, including teachers, parents and grandparents, voice concerns about young people’s waning reading habits.

“Either they aren’t reading for enjoyment or pleasure, or they’re not reading at the appropriate level,” Peters said. “I want to get people reading together – listening to each other read,” she added. The idea is to build young readers’ confidence and fluency.

We use different hemispheres of our brains for listening and for reading, Peters said. When you read aloud, there’s more information exchanged across both hemispheres which builds literacy and reading fluency.

The idea is for Peters to read one chapter of a chapter book to the group for the first 15 minutes of each hour-long session. Then the group will divide randomly to tables and they’ll take turns reading to the group. There will be volunteers on hand to help less confident readers if they need it.

“I want to hear people reading for 45 minutes,” Peters said. “I want to make it a positive things (and) don’t want anyone to feel bad about their reading ability,” she said. “This is a new approach – we’ll see how it goes.”

Visit https://www.perrylibrary.org/ for a complete listing of events and programs.

The library will be closed Dec. 23-26 for Christmas, as well as Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.

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TownTalk: Community Prayer Night Is This Friday

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Tiffany Jones, founder of Community Uplift Project, takes her mission seriously – and literally. She is planning a Community Prayer Night for Friday, Dec. 15 and Jones said its purpose is to spiritually uplift the community.

It’s called “Light the Way” and it begins at 7:30 p.m. at the offices of the local nonprofit at 105 S. Garnett St.

There will be food, special music, games for the children and prayer, she told WIZS co-hosts Bill Harris and Steve Lewis on Monday’s TownTalk.

When Jones says there will be food, she clarified: no finger foods, no hors d’ouevres for this community prayer night – everyone in attendance will get a plate full of supper. When they leave, they’re gonna be full spiritually and full literally, she said.

“Everybody leaves with something,” Jones said, “spiritual or tangible.”

Newscasts and news feeds are full of bad news – crime, wars, shootings, she said, the community prayer night is one way she can offer people hope.

“We just want to make sure people are uplifted at this time of the year,” Jones said.

Community Uplift Project was founded in August 2019, when Jones was unable to work because she was suffering from lupus. She was hosting yard sales to earn some money, she recalled. “I was sitting on my mother’s porch,” Jones said, “and the Lord said ‘give it all away.’”

Confused but obedient, Jones said she began posting photos of the items she was now giving away rather than selling.

People responded to her posts and she began to deliver the items to those who needed it.

“The more I did it, the more God gave me,” Jones said. “With the vision He gave me…I was just obedient to the vision.”

Jones is a self-professed giver – “just a little girl from the ‘hood with a big dream,” she said. She accepted the call to ministry more than 10 years ago and has never looked back.

She works with Headstart during the day, but can usually be found at the Community Uplift Project by 4:15 or so. Email her at CommunityUpliftProject2020@yahoo.com

or phone her at 252.425.6056.

 

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S-Line Rail Corridor

The Local Skinny! S Line Rail Corridor Receives Over $1 Billion

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Apparently, $1 billion doesn’t go as far as it used to. At least as far as the S-Line passenger rail line goes, that number – a 1 followed by NINE zeroes – will get the train from Raleigh to as far north as Wake Forest. That’s still 28 miles or so from Henderson.

President Joe Biden and U.S. Department of Transportation announced last week that North Carolina would get a whopping $1.09 billion in federal grant money to build the first segment of the S-Line, a high-performance passenger rail line that will ultimately connect North Carolina with Virginia and points in the Northeast.

WIZS News spoke with NC DOT Rail Division Director Jason Orthner late last week  to find out what the project means for the state, and for Henderson and Vance County – basically the halfway point between Raleigh and Richmond.

Orthner said Henderson is “a critical location on the line…(which, when completed)  will be on one of the most advanced transportation networks in the country.”

The whole project covers 162 miles, Orthner said. While there is existing rail along many stretches, it’s a project that will need to be built in phases. If DOT engineer could wave a magic wand to create all the bridges and other structural components needed to bring the passenger rail service through the state, it surely would shorten the process.

Alas, state DOT officials are just trying to get the train out of Raleigh and north to Wake Forest in this first phase of the massive project.

“We will pursue grant funding and extend service as we do it,” Orthner said, adding that DOT is already planning for the next phases to reach Henderson and beyond.

As for Henderson’s part, Orthner said, being ready for what’s coming, he’s pleased. “We are really excited about Henderson,” he said.

City leaders have been learning about mobility hubs and transportation hubs as they prepare and plan for what passenger rail service can add to the city’s growth and tourism opportunities.

The trick is to use existing tracks up and down the East Coast for passenger rail service without impeding the freight service that uses the same railways.

Train travel is growing in popularity – there’s record ridership between Raleigh and Charlotte, Orthner noted – and he said there is a true interest by the public in rail transportation.

“It’s safe, productive, comfortable and it’s just really a great way to travel.”

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Intolerant Behavior Disrupts More Than School Activity

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Tuesday night, December 5, the Vance County Vipers Basketball team hosted Louisburg, but the game was halted soon after it started when a fight broke out on the gym floor.

VCS Chief Officer for Communication Aarika Sandlin said, “No Vance County High School students were involved. Currently, an active investigation is taking place by the Vance County Sheriff’s (Office).”

Sheriff Curtis Brame said the fight led to his office “issuing citations for simple affray against four young males between the ages of 18-19.”

The Sheriff said, “Juvenile petitions are being taken out against the juveniles that are under the age of 18 for simple affray.”

It is not believed that the teams were involved in any way and apparently no one was injured.

What is not known and is the subject of the investigation is the gunshots outside the building. A vehicle was struck but the remainder of it, namely who did the shooting, what vehicle was hit, under what circumstances it was hit and more is what law enforcement continues to work on.

As to what’s next for the school and how the school system is handling it, Superintendent Dr. Cindy Bennett issued a statement to WIZS.

She said, “We are very disappointed with the behavior of several students from another district school as well as some adults who were present for the game (Tuesday) night at VCHS. Actions and behaviors such as this will not be tolerated and VCS has already added another layer of security and limited access for spectators and other guests at our athletic events. This behavior is not representative of VCHS nor VCS. I stand firmly on a no tolerance of dangerous behavior in the athletic spaces or on our campuses at any time.”

Man on Pretrial Release Arrested After Ongoing Drug Complaint

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— information from Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow

On December 6, 2023, the Henderson Police Department served two narcotic search warrants, one at Main Street Auto, 326 N. Garnett St., and the other at 115 Willow Oak Pl. in response to an ongoing drug complaint.

During the service of the warrant, approximately 47.5 grams of cocaine, 860 grams of marijuana, two firearms, drug manufacturing equipment, and $7,920.00 in cash were seized.

Carey Rogers, 41, was arrested in relation to this investigation.

Rogers was charged with: (2 counts) Trafficking Cocaine; Manufacturing Cocaine; Possession with Intent to Manufacture, Sell, Deliver Cocaine; Possession with Intent to Manufacture, Sell, Deliver Marijuana; (2 counts) Possession of a Firearm by a Felon; Maintaining a Dwelling Place for a Controlled Substance; Possession of a Stolen Vehicle; Possession of Marijuana Paraphernalia; Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, not Marijuana.

Rogers received no bond due to being on pretrial release.  He was remanded to the Vance County Jail.

SportsTalk: Vance Charter Girls Basketball Off To A Strong Start

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The Vance Charter Girls Basketball team is off to a 4-1 start this season and head coach Brian Howard is kind of happy about it.  “The one part in the 4 -1 isn’t very satisfying,” Howard said on Thursday’s SportsTalk.  That “1” part that Howard refers to is a 49-47 loss to Falls Lake.  “We left points on the free throw line and missed points in transition,” Howard added.

This week Vance Charter defeated Granville Central 58-10 in a game that saw Vance Charter’s Alaina Bullock record 14 points and 9 steals.  “We preach defense.  I’m a defensive-minded coach,” Howard said about allowing only 10 points in the game.

Vance Charter has been putting solid teams on the court over the last several years but Howard feels that they are all quite different.  “This year’s team is one of the most connected, due to chemistry, I’ve had,” Howard stated.

Next up for Vance Charter is East Wake Academy on December 15th.

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