Community Information Series: GED/Second Chance Workshop Oct. 14

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The upcoming Community Information Series topic is a GED/Second Chance Workshop titled “It’s Never Too Late to Learn.”

The community is invited to attend the event on Tuesday, Oct. 14 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Baskerville Funeral Home chapel. The funeral home is located at 104 S. Chestnut St., Henderson.

Learn about opportunities to complete your GED, continue your education, and take the next step toward your goals. Representatives from TRIO Educational Opportunity Centers and Piedmont Community College will be available to share information on academic advising, career workshops, and free assistance with college applications, testing, and financial aid.

For more information, call 252.430.6824.

American Red Cross: Create An Escape Plan In Case Of Fire – And Then Practice!

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– information courtesy of the American Red Cross

During Fire Prevention Week (October 5-11), the American Red Cross North Carolina Region reminds everyone of the dangers of home fires, which claim seven lives every day in the U.S. To help protect your household, test your smoke alarms each month and practice your escape plan until everyone can get out in less than two minutes.

“Home fires don’t wait for the right moment, but being prepared makes all the difference,” said Sharonne Hayes, the Red Cross regional Communications Manager of the North Carolina Region. “When a smoke alarm sounds, your family should be ready to act fast. Testing your smoke alarms and practicing your escape plan helps ensure your family knows what to do when every second matters.”

Here are a few tips for creating a home fire escape plan and practicing a 2-minute drill:

  • Everyone in your household should know two ways to escape from each room in your home.
  • Smoke is dangerous. Get low and go!
  • Decide where to meet once you get outside. Select a meeting spot at a safe distance away from your home, such as a neighbor’s home or landmark like a specific tree in your front yard, where everyone knows to meet.
  • Get out and stay out. Never go back inside for people, pets or things.
  • If a fire starts, you may have less than two minutesto get to safety. Time your fire drill and find out: What’s your escape time?
  • While practicing your escape plan, teach children what a smoke alarm sounds like. Talk about fire safety and what to do in an emergency.

Smoke alarm safety:

  • Place smoke alarms on each level of your home, including inside and outside bedrooms and sleeping areas.
  • In addition to testing your alarms once a month, change the batteries at least once a year, if your model requires it.
  • Also check the manufacturer’s date of your smoke alarms. If they’re 10 years or older, they need to be replaced because the sensor becomes less sensitive over time. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Local Red Cross Disaster Action Team volunteers provide emotional support, financial assistance, and information to help families begin the process of recovery. Most of the 65,000 emergencies that the Red Cross responds to each year are home fires.

For emergencies like home fires, our volunteers provide comfort during what can be the worst days of people’s lives. Learn how you can volunteer for our Disaster Action Team at redcross.org/DAT. Since October 2014, the American Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, working with community partners, has saved at least 2,479 lives by educating families about fire safety, helping them create escape plans and installing free smoke alarms in neighborhoods across the country. Our local Sound the Alarm initiatives have helped save 87 lives across North Carolina by installing more than 83,600 free smoke alarms in high-risk communities. To learn more about the campaign and how you can get involved, visit redcross.org/homefires.

If you need assistance, visit redcross.org/NC for a free smoke alarm installation.

NC Dept of Agriculture

Visit NC Farms Mobile App Helps Visitors Find Local Agritourism Destinations

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— information courtesy of N.C. Dept. of Agriculture & Consumer Services

 

People looking for fun agritourism activities this fall can now find statewide listings through the Visit NC Farms website as the platform transitions from a mobile app to expand access for farms and visitors. The website will also allow agritourism farms to update their event information quickly.

Visitors can find information, or farms can list information, at visitncfarms.com

Launched in 2018, the Visit NC Farms mobile app helped connect thousands of residents and visitors with local farms, farmers markets, food and drink experiences and agritourism destinations. The app provided a strong foundation for raising awareness of agritourism and local food across the state, which the website will build on.

“Interest in agritourism continues to grow and visitors have even more options today,” said Erica Calderon, agritourism marketing specialist. “Visit NC Farms has always been about connecting people to the food, farms and communities that make North Carolina unique, and we hope visitors will check out the new website when they are looking to make plans.”

On-farm activities and experiences can be sorted by nine category filters, including farm visits, u-pick, farm stays, farmers markets, trails, workshops, sips + bites and special events. This helps make exploring simple and intuitive, Calderon said.

Other advantages of the new Visit NC Farms website include:

  • Free platform for farmers: Businesses and event hosts can be listed at no cost, opening the door for broader statewide participation.
  • Broader accessibility: Available on any device, without requiring a download.
  • Faster updates: Farms and event organizers can update listings quickly, ensuring accurate information year-round.
  • Industry support: Dedicated resources make it easier for agribusinesses to get listed and submit seasonal events.

 

“The app gave us a strong start, and now the website allows us to take that mission even further,” Calderon said.

The launch of the new website underscores NCDA&CS’s long-term investment in agritourism and agribusiness marketing. It maintains the program’s core mission while opening opportunities for more farms to share their stories and for more visitors to discover authentic North Carolina farm experiences.

For more information or to explore farm-fresh experiences, visit visitncfarms.com.

Henderson Municipal Elections Results

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A political newcomer appears to have secured a spot on the Henderson City Council as Kenia Gómez-Jimenez got more than 55 percent of the vote for the Ward 1 at-large seat, besting incumbent Sara Coffey in Tuesday’s nonpartisan municipal election.

Gómez-Jimenez got 911 votes, compared to 174 for Coffey and 525 for challenger Geraldine Champion. Clementine “Tina” Hunter got 35 votes.

The Ward 1 at-large seat was one of four contested seats on the Henderson City Council that were up for grabs in Tuesday’s election. Ward 4 incumbent Ola Thorpe-Cooper told WIZS Tuesday night that she will call for a runoff. She is 12 votes behind challenger Catherine “Kitty” Gill.

Gill received 117 votes to Thorpe-Cooper’s 105 votes. Fred Robertson got 65 votes in the Ward 4 contest and there were two write-in votes.

“Most definite I will ask for a runoff,” Thorpe-Cooper told WIZS Tuesday evening.

The other contests weren’t as close, with incumbents Garry Daeke and Lamont Noel getting more votes in their respective races.

Noel, the Ward 2 at-large incumbent, had 1,153 votes – just over 70 percent – to challenger George Mayo’s 459 votes, just shy of 28 percent.

Ward 3 Council Member Daeke got 224 votes – 62.57 percent of the vote – to challenger Deryl vonWilliams’s 99 votes, which represents 27.65 percent of the total votes. Other challengers in the Ward 3 contests were Jason Spriggs (24 votes) and Clifford High (10 votes). There was one write-in vote.

Of Henderson’s 8,898 registered voters, 1,656 cast ballots – that represents a little more than 18 percent of the voters who turned out.

Perry Memorial Library

The Local Skinny! Life Skills For Teens, VV Mitchell, Fall Festival Await Patrons Of Perry Memorial Library

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The second in a three-part Life Skills for Teens series on Money Matters takes place Thursday, Oct. 9 at Perry Memorial Library.

Participants will be assigned different roles to experience how job, education and family growth affect finances, and the library’s Youth Services Director Melody Peters said it’s like having a dose of reality before adulthood gets “real.”

The program is from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Got your first paycheck? Great! Now how much is left after you pay your bills – think rent, phone bill, car payment – the list seems endless. Teens get a chance to learn in a fun way the importance of financial literacy from Coastal Credit Union’s Wendy McCoy.

Then on Monday, Oct. 13, Varonica Mitchell, known by many as “VV” Mitchell, brings The VV Show to the library for a program called “Get Hype About Reading.” Come on out from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. and enjoy an Italian ice from Mac Scoops while sharing all the great things that come from reading.

The Fall Festival is just around the corner and the library staff is busy preparing for all the fun, including games, prizes and more! The festival is from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 21, with a special Trunk or Treat to follow from 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the library parking lot.

Learn more about these programs and all the programs and services at Perry Memorial Library at https://www.perrylibrary.org/home

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Cooperative Extension with Michael Ellington: Cover Crops

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Michael Ellington, on the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report:

This week we talk about the importance of cover crops to the home gardener.

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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Two Arrested On Drug Charges Monday

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– from Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow

During the morning hours of October 6, 2025, a multi-agency operation involving the service of four search warrants was conducted at separate locations within Henderson and Vance County. The search warrants were executed at 150 Falkner Street, 724 Jefferson Street, and 441 Pearl Street, all within the City of Henderson, as well as 57 Meredith Lane in Vance County.

This coordinated effort included personnel from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Wake Forest Police Department, Vance County Sheriff’s Office, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Oxford Police Department, and the Henderson Police Department.

As a result of this operation, two individuals were immediately arrested (possible future charges pending further investigation), and illegal narcotics, firearms, and U.S. currency were seized.

Arrests and Charges

Kyrick Jykise Alston (19) of 57 Meredith Lane was charged with:

  • WFA – Sell/Deliver Heroin, and PWIMSD Heroin (prior)
  • WFA – Conspire to Sell/Deliver Heroin (prior)
  • WFA – Trafficking Opium or Heroin (×5), and PWIMSD Heroin (prior)
  • WFA – Trafficking Opium or Heroin (×4), and PWIMSD Heroin (prior)
  • WFA – Trafficking Opium or Heroin (×4), and PWIMSD Heroin

Alston received no bond and was remanded to the Vance County Detention Center.

Viola Alston (73) of 150 Falkner Street was charged with:

  • WFA – Felony Possession of Cocaine
  • Maintain Vehicle/Dwelling/Place for Controlled Substances (F)
  • Possession with intent to sell and deliver  Marijuana
  • Felony Possession of Marijuana

Viola Alston received a $25,000 secured bond and was bonded prior to transport.

Items Seized

150 Falkner Street:

  • 767 grams of Marijuana
  • 3.7 grams of Cocaine
  • One shotgun and two handguns (Walther 9mm pistol, Glock 20 – 10mm, KelTec 12-gauge shotgun)

724 Jefferson Street:

  • 151 dosage units of Heroin
  • 5.7 grams of Cocaine
  • $13,474 in U.S. Currency

441 Pearl Street:

  • One firearm (American Tactical AR Pistol – .300 Blackout)

57 Meredith Lane:

  • 440 dosage units of Heroin
  • One firearm (Anderson Arms AR-15)
  • $685.10 in U.S. Currency

Regional operations such as this and the one held last month continue to produce significant results in our ongoing efforts to reduce violent crime and illegal narcotics activity within our communities. The Henderson Police Department extends its appreciation to all partnering agencies for their continued cooperation and commitment to public safety.

TownTalk: Abria’s Chase Foundation Extends Support To Those Dealing With Grief

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Join Abria’s Chase founders Ayana and June Lewis for Testimonial Tuesday on Facebook Live to hear stories from those who have suffered life-altering experiences and how they have worked through challenges to come out on the other side.

The Lewises established the Abria’s Chase Foundation in the wake of a tragic housefire that claimed the lives of their children, Abria and Chase, in November 2009.

The week of Oct. 5-11 is Fire Safety Week, and the Lewises said their mission, through the foundation, is to try to help others.

“We didn’t want this to happen to anybody else,” Ayana said on Monday’s TownTalk. “We wanted to help others…we wanted to do the preventive end,” she said. In partnership with the American Red Cross and the local fire department, Abria’s Chase provides and installs free of charge smoke detectors and batteries. Call 252.430.9913 to learn more about how to sign up for this program.

But that’s not all Abria’s Chase offers. The Lewises started a support group in 2010 for parents who have experienced the loss of a child.

“June and I had one another to depend on and lean on,” Ayana explained, and they wanted to provide a similar support to others who may need it.

“It was such a big help for us, as well as the men and women,” Ayana said. The Loss of A Child Support Group meets on the third Monday of the month at 6 p.m.

A support group for young people meets on the fourth Thursday of the month, too. It’s a time when children can come together and learn coping skills to help them navigate through the grief process.

As the holidays approach – often, the most difficult time for those who grieve the loss of a family member – they open up the support group to provide grief support, not just for parents but to families who may be interested in participating.

June encourages men experiencing loss or grief to reach out for help.

“It can be a hard thing for a man to communicate feelings,” June said. But talking to someone can help. “It really makes a huge difference,” he said.

The Lewises compare unexpressed feelings to an unopened soda can. The can holds pressure, and if it’s not used properly, the contents can get on things it was not intended to get on, June said.

Talking to someone – to relieve that pressure – can create positive, healthier outcomes.

Abria’s Chase Foundation has a cheer competition fundraiser coming up on Nov. 15 at 5 p.m.

All proceeds go to helping the foundation continue its work to provide support to the community. Ayana said there’s still time to enter the competition. Call 252.430.9913 to learn how.

To learn more about the organization, visit http://www.abriaschasefoundation.org/

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