Election Results

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In the City of Henderson Non-Partisan Runoff Election of Tuesday, November 3, 2015, incumbent City Councilwoman Brenda Peace was defeated by challenger Melissa Elliott for the 3rd Ward At Large Seat, and Marion Brodie Williams defeated Clarence J. Dale for the 1st Ward Ward Seat.

Elliott received 554 total votes to Peace’s 439.  That’s 55.79 percent of the votes to Elliott and 44.21 percent to Peace.  In the earlier election in October, Elliott received just nine more votes than Peace, and since Elliott did not earn 50 percent of the votes plus one more vote that allowed Peace to call for a runoff.

Williams received 158 votes to Dale’s 125.  That’s 55.83 percent of the votes to Williams and 44.17 percent to Dale.  In the October election, the two candidates tied with 234 votes.

All results are unofficial until canvassed by The Vance County Board of Elections.  The spreadsheet below represents the information received by WIZS News from The Board of Elections.  (This link will show you more)

Of the 10,233 registered voters in Henderson, 1,068 cast a ballot giving a voter turnout of 10.44 percent.

Voting totals for Kittrell: For Mayor, Jerry C. Joyner with 23 votes with no opposition and no write ins; For Kittrell Commissioner, Susan M. Pulley with 23 votes, Betsy W. Simpson with 20 votes, and there were 15 write in votes.

Voting totals for Middleburg:  For Mayor, Ray A. Bullock with 28 votes and Dean Dickerson 0 (zero) votes and no write ins; For Middleburg Councilman, Annie R. Fudge 25 votes, Ruth M. Nance 20 votes, Gary A. Plummer 21 votes and no write ins.

H-V Chamber Membership Drive

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The Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce is holding its annual membership drive this week.  To make the event more fun, the Chamber Ambassadors are taking on the Chamber Board members to see which group can bring in the most new members.  The winning team will be treated to a free meal prepared by the losing team.H-V Chamber Kevin and Annette 11-3-15

WIZS Radio did a live broadcast from the Chamber Tuesday morning during TownTalk, and President John Barnes and Annette Roberson of the Chamber talked about the fun side of the event in finding new members.  Of course, everyone involved is on the same team, and that team is your team.

The membership drive is all about you and your business according to Barnes and Roberson.  They each talked about the various member benefits, everything from ribbon cuttings, newsletters, signage at events, listings on hendersonvance.org to the ability to generally network in our business community.

If you are interested in becoming a Chamber member, it’s as easy as calling 252-438-8414 or stopping by 414 South Garnett Street.  Basic memberships are available for as little as $20 per month.  If you join now, November and December of 2015 are at no additional charge, and you will receive a full membership for all of 2016.

Live Coverage of Election Results

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Election coverage starts at 7:00 P.M. on WIZS 1450 AM.  You can also use the “Listen Now” tab at the top left of wizs.com.  You will start to see results listed on this page after the polls close at 7:30 P.M. and the data is released by The Vance County Board of Elections.

Instructions: Refresh this page or hover over the box below with the election results and click “reload” to update results on this page.



LIVE COVERAGE OF THE TUESDAY RUNOFF ELECTION HERE IN HENDERSON — FOLLOW THE RUNNING TOTALS AS WE ENTER THEM.

FOLLOWING THE OCTOBER MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, WHICH WERE VERY CLOSE, THERE IS A RUNOFF BETWEEN BRENDA PEACE AND MELISSA ELLIOTT FOR THE THIRD WARD AT LARGE SEAT ON THE HENDERSON CITY COUNCIL AND A RUNOFF BETWEEN CLARENCE J. DALE AND MARION BRODIE WILLIAMS FOR THE FIRST WARD WARD SEAT.

WE WILL ALSO PROVIDE ELECTION RETURN INFORMATION FOR MIDDLEBURG AND KITTRELL ON OUR LIVE RADIO BROADCAST.

Runoff Election Coverage

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WIZS NEWS IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE…WE WILL PROVIDE LIVE COVERAGE OF THE TUESDAY RUNOFF ELECTION HERE IN HENDERSON.  NOT ONLY WILL COVERAGE BE AVAILABLE AT 1450 AM, BUT YOU CAN ALSO LISTEN LIVE ON WIZS.COM.  AND, FOR THE FIRST TIME, OUR SPREADSHEET WILL BE AVAILABLE ONLINE AS A LIVE DOCUMENT.  THAT MEANS, IF YOU GO TO WIZS.COM, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO FOLLOW THE RUNNING TOTALS AS WE ENTER THEM.  FOLLOWING THE OCTOBER MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, WHICH WERE VERY CLOSE, THERE IS A RUNOFF BETWEEN BRENDA PEACE AND MELISSA ELLIOTT FOR THE THIRD WARD AT LARGE SEAT ON THE HENDERSON CITY COUNCIL AND A RUNOFF BETWEEN CLARENCE J. DALE AND MARION BRODIE WILLIAMS FOR THE FIRST WARD WARD SEAT.  IF YOU ARE A CITY VOTER, YOUR TURN OUT TO VOTE IS NEEDED ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3.  AGAIN, LIVE ELECTION COVERAGE BEGINNING AT 7:30PM ON 1450 AM AND ON WIZS.COM.  WE WILL ALSO PROVIDE ELECTION RETURN INFORMATION FOR MIDDLEBURG AND KITTRELL.

VGCC opens Spring Registration, offers Orientation Sessions online and in-person

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Registration for classes and orientation sessions for new students have begun for the Spring 2016 semester at Vance-Granville Community College, which starts Monday, Jan. 11, 2016.

Attending an orientation session is required for all new students who wish to enroll in any of the college’s curriculum programs, and for students who are returning to VGCC after being away for three or more years. Students must also meet with an advisor or academic/career coach before registering for classes.

To attend an orientation session, a student must sign up in advance by visiting orientation.vgcc.edu.

VGCC now offers orientation in both an online and a traditional face-to-face format. In either format, orientation sessions help students learn where to find resources on campus or online, including how to register for classes through WebAdvisor. Many face-to-face orientation sessions still have slots available, and additional dates may be scheduled.

Orientation sessions scheduled for VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County include: Thursday, Nov. 12, at 2 p.m.; Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 9 a.m.; Tuesday, Dec. 8, at 9 a.m.; and Thursday, Jan. 7, at 2 p.m.

The Franklin County Campus near Louisburg has orientation sessions scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 5 p.m.; and Tuesday, Dec. 8, at 9 a.m.

Orientation sessions are scheduled at VGCC’s South Campus (between Creedmoor and Butner) on

Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 2 p.m.; Thursday, Nov. 19, at 9 a.m., Wednesday, Dec. 2, at 2 p.m.; and Thursday, Dec. 10, at 9 a.m.

Students who want to attend a face-to-face orientation session at the Warren County Campus in Warrenton should call (252) 257-1900 for more information.

Registration for fall classes opened Nov. 2 and closes on Dec. 16. College officials advise students to apply for admission and financial aid, attend orientation/advising, and register for classes as early as possible. The upcoming semester’s course schedule is now available online at schedules.vgcc.edu.

The tuition payment deadline is Wednesday, Dec. 16, by 5 p.m., if paying in person, or by Thursday, Dec. 31, by midnight, if paying online through WebAdvisor.

For more information, contact VGCC at studentsuccess@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3330, or visit any campus.

FINANCIAL AID AVAILABLE

Prospective students interested in seeking financial assistance are encouraged to immediately complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at www.fafsa.gov and to visit the VGCC Financial Aid Office.

Eligible students may receive Pell Grants ranging from $626 to $5,775. Students may also qualify for other college or state funds. The Financial Aid Office recommends completing the FAFSA and all financial aid documents by Dec. 11, 2015. In order for a student to charge tuition, fees, and books to financial aid awards, the application must be processed entirely prior to the tuition payment deadline of Dec. 31, 2015. Students with preschool-age children may receive financial assistance to help pay for child care, and applications for this help are also available at the Financial Aid Office.

Information about other resources is available online at financialaid.vgcc.edu.

For more details regarding financial assistance, visit the Financial Aid Office in Room 8215 on Main Campus or call (252) 738-3280.

HELP FOR VETERANS

Military veterans who wish to use their Veterans’ Education benefits may contact the Financial Aid Office at (252) 738-3224. Veterans should check with Financial Aid to see if the programs in which they are interested are covered.

Tourism in Vance

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October 16, 17 and 18, The Vance County Department of Tourism hosted the 14th Annual Show, Shine, Shag & Dine and The East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame & Reunion.  Tourism Director Nancy Wilson said the economic impact here was between $2.5 to $3.0 million.  That figure represents the amount of spending done while the show was here.

As tourism in Henderson and Vance County continues to develop, citizens here are not only left with positive things to do, but the tourism dollars left behind by our guests.  The hotel/motel taxes and retail sales taxes are huge to our County.  Also, tourism can spawn economic development and accelerate revitalization efforts in historic downtown areas.

Wilson said, “Everything went fine.  For the entire weekend, I think our numbers were pretty much the same as they have been.  I would say around 30,000.”  In terms of comparing that to shows in other towns the size of Henderson, Wilson said, “I don’t think there’s anyone who can compare.  We’re not a festival.  That’s not what we do.  It’s an event, a production.  The State Fair is about as close as I can get to the number of people at one location at one time.”

In speaking about the car owners and especially about the Hall of Fame Inductees, Wilson said, “These guys have got so much background in engineering, and they’re master mechanics.  They’ve worked with and in some of the top companies in the country, and they’re innovators.  They make an effort to travel here every year, and they love it.  They have so much to share.

“The East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame and Reunion event held at Vance Granville Community College on Sunday has been growing every year.”  Inducted for 2015 were: Sherwood Allen, Robert Bullard – posthumously, Ron Colson, Don Grotheer, Roy Hagadorn, Hasley Hood, Jr., Woodroe Josey, Jim Kerr, Jimmy King, Mike Kosky, Ed Kowalski, Frank LeSueur – posthumously, Larry Lombardo and Della Woods.

A lot of new money is spent in our area because of tourism and the marketing efforts outside this area and marketing in places known to draw visitors.  Anyone staying here spending money, it boosts the local economy.  In the summer, Vance County experiences a retail sales tax boost, and that Wilson said “has to come from our lake business because the City and County are not growing, so I don’t know how you could justify it any other way.”

In 2014, Vance County experienced a 2.97 percent growth in monies generated from tourism totaling $44.10 million.  This information according to the North Carolina Department of Commerce.  $5.84 million was the amount of payroll or money paid in Vance County because of tourism jobs.  The 2014 tax savings per resident in Vance County because of tourism was figured to be about $85.35.  Tax receipts were $1.28 million.

Wilson said, “Of course, every dollar we generate through tourism is a tax savings to our tax payers.”

The East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame is still in the works.  Land is owned.  Funds for the building are needed, and Wilson and the building committee are working on that right now.  That would be open year round and would be another point of interest for tourists coming to our area.

NCDMV

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NCDMV Issues Hundreds of Driver Licenses, ID Cards at State Fair

Raleigh, N.C. – With the help of two new compact mobile units and two kiosks, the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV) issued more than 450 driver licenses and identification cards during the 11-day run of the 2015 North Carolina State Fair, helping continue Governor Pat McCrory’s Driving Change initiative at NCDMV.

“The State Fair was the perfect setting to show people how much easier it is to get a driver’s license or ID card, particularly in remote areas,” Governor McCrory said.

Beginning October 15, fairgoers took advantage of the DMV booth at the fair to apply for their driver licenses and ID cards. NCDMV’s new mobile units issued fairgoers 337 licenses and ID cards; its new kiosks issued 132 licenses and cards, making a total 469 issuances.

The new mobile units are the first of their kind in the nation and contain all the equipment necessary for customers to apply for a driver license or ID card. They will be tested beginning in mid-November in three areas of the state before being rolled out to serve customers in remote areas all across the state.

The new units are compact, fitting side-by-side in an SUV. They will eventually replace the five RV-style units NCDMV had used in the past. The units are expected to increase the number of stops made by the units, allowing service to more than 36,000 customers across the state.

The new mobile units are among several initiatives at NCDMV, including online driver license renewals statewide that will decrease the number of customers who must visit a DMV office, the introduction of a more durable and secure driver license, and a new MyDMV portal that brings personal DMV services to customers.

Field Trip!!

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Approximately 80 students, school staff members and parents from Aycock Elementary School ate dinner at the Kanki Japanese restaurant at Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh, on September 24, as part of their trip to attend a men’s soccer game between N.C. State University and Gardner Webb University. They are all seen in the accompanying photo as they pose for photos outside of the restaurant. The trip proved to be a great experience for students and their families members who attended, as well as the school staff members. They attended the soccer game to specifically cheer on a former Aycock student, Lorenzo Ortiz, who is a starting forward for Gardner Webb. Hope Howard, physical education teacher at Aycock Elementary, organized the trip and received assistance from Principal Kristen Boyd and Assistant Principal David Cooper, who also participated in the event.

(Information provided by Vance County Schools Public Information Officer Terri Hedrick)