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City Council Discusses URA, S-Line Project And Industrial Park Upgrades

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The Henderson City Council approved Monday next steps for several projects underway, including the S-Line commuter/passenger rail service, completing projects at the Industrial Park and the official approval of the Urban Redevelopment Area.

City Manager Terrell Blackmon said there was some discussion by council members about what to name the URA, so the plan passed without having a formal name attached to it.

The Redevelopment Commission will be asked to reconsider the name of the district from “Elmwood” to something that includes “West End,” which is the name of the historical neighborhood included in the URA.

Council members approved the plan in February meeting, at which time a copy of the plan was posted on the city website for review. The Planning Board Commission approved the plan on Feb. 21, 2022.

The URA includes more than 200 acres in the city and much of that property is in a blighted condition, according to information contained in the Council’s March meeting packet. The redevelopment plan is expected “to yield a substantial increase in the tax value of these properties and in turn contribute toward the redevelopment of downtown,” the information stated.

Another project connected to downtown revitalization is the Regional S-Line Mobility Hub project that would provide $2.64 million in federal grants to re-establish a train station for the S-Line commuter and rail service.

The grant application is due April 14 with grants awarded by August, according to the agenda information.

The total cost is $3.3 million, and the city would be asked to pitch in $190,000 of matching funds if the grant is awarded. All grant and matching funds would need to be obligated by 2026 and spent by 2031.

The Council also heard from Manager Blackmon about the recently awarded $761,040 in Economic Development Administration funds to finish the sewer and roadway at the Henderson-Vance Industrial Park.

The city and county were awarded the money jointly to finish the project, which is a continuation of the work done by the county to install water and sewer lines and also to  build a gravel road for the city.

Now that the funding is in place, the county intends to pave the road and finish the sewer force main which was removed from the previous project because of budget constraints.

 

 

The Local Skinny! Gang Free Inc. To Host Sip And Paint Vaccination Clinic

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Gang Free, Inc. is sponsoring a COVID-19 clínica de vacunación on Saturday, Mar. 19 at Satterwhite Point’s Glass House. The clinic is sponsored through a partnership with Raleigh-based Healthier Together and Spanish speakers are especially invited to come out and enjoy being outdoors for a “Sip and Paint” event.

Anyone interested in getting a COVID-19 vaccine is welcome to sign up, according to Melissa Elliott, founder of Gang Free, Inc. Call her at 252. 425. 5220 to get registered.

There are still some appointment slots open for the event, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 269 Glass House Road.

Even if you’re fully vaccinated and boosted, there are slots available to come out and paint and enjoy the beauty of the lake.

New cases are going down, Elliott told John C. Rose on Tuesday’s The Local Skinny!, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to let down our guard.

“We still have to be cognizant that this virus is still alive and still infecting individuals,” she said.
“We just want to make sure that we’re doing our part.”

Gang Free has spearheaded 70-plus vaccination clinics, and continues to distribute N-95 masks and rapid COVID tests to the community.

People with underlying health conditions are still especially vulnerable to COVID-19, and sometimes it’s those folks within marginalized populations that remain hesitant to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

“When people understand the information – once they understand why it’s important,” she said, they often change their minds. “When that virus attacks your body, it’s hard to fight back on your own,” Elliott said, referring to those with underlying health conditions.

“It IS your choice,” she emphasized, “but let me give you enough information to let you think about it.”

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The Local Skinny! Jobs In Vance 3-15-22

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Jobs in Vance this week focuses on openings with Vance County. To apply for any of these jobs visit https://www.vancecounty.org/departments/human-resources/.  The following positions are currently available:

Deputy Tax Assessor

Tax Office

Rate of Pay: $48,504 – $50,916

Details: Open Until Filled

 

SW I A/T (FLOATER)

Social Services

Rate of Pay: $42,504 – $44,616

Details: Open Until Filled

 

SOCIAL WORKER II SENIOR CENTER

Social Services

Rate of Pay: $37,236 – $39,108

Details: Open Until Filled

 

HUMAN RESOURCE AIDE-SENIOR CENTER

Social Services

Rate of Pay: $20,100 – $21,108

Details: Open Until Filled

 

Social Worker II

Social Services

Rate of Pay: $37,236 – $39,108

Details: Open Until Filled

 

Program Assistant V (Senior Center)

Social Services

Rate of Pay: $28,596 – $30,036

Details: Open Until Filled

 

Kitchen Worker

Detention

Rate of Pay: $13.98

Details: Continuous Posting

 

Processing Assistant V

Social Services

Rate of Pay: $28,596 – $30,036

Details: Open Until Filled

 

Building Codes Enforcement Officer

Planning & Development

Details: Open Until Filled; Salary is Negotiable based on Experience & Trade Certifications

 

SW II CHILDCARE/EMERGENCY INTAKE

Social Services

Rate of Pay: $37,236 – $39,108

Details: Open Until Filled

 

Library Assistant (PT)

Library

Rate of Pay: $11.00

Details: Open Until Filled

 

Permits Technician

Planning & Development

Status: Accepting Applications

Details: Open Until Filled – Previous applicants need not re-apply – Salary $29,880, neg. based on experience

 

Deputy Register of Deeds

Register of Deeds

Rate of Pay: $28,596 – $30,036

Details: Open Until Filled (Do Not Reach out to anyone in the Register of Deeds Office regarding this position; Do Not reapply if applied previously)

 

Telecommunicator I

Emergency Operations

Rate of Pay: $32,640 – $42,420

Details: Salary Negotiable; Based on Experience. If previously applied and still interested, you will need to reapply. Open Until Filled

 

SW III FOSTER CARE/ADOPTIONS/LINKS

Social Services

Rate of Pay: $40,668 – $42,696

Details: Open Until Filled

 

INCOME MAINTENANCE CASEWORKER III

Social Services

Rate of Pay: $34,104 – $35,808

Details: Open Until Filled

 

SW IA/T / CPS

Social Services

Rate of Pay: $42,504 – $44,616

Details: Open Until Filled

 

INCOME MAINTENANCE CASEWORKER II

Social Services

Rate of Pay: $31,236 – $32,796

Details: Open Until Filled

 

PROCESSING ASSISTANT IV

Social Services

Rate of Pay: $26,448 – $27,756

Details: Open Until Filled

 

SOCIAL WORK SUPERVISOR III (ADULT SERVICES)

Social Services

Rate of Pay: $48,504 – $50,916

Details: Open Until Filled

 

IM Supervisor II (Family/Children Recertifications Medicaid)

Social Services

Rate of Pay: $37,236 – $48,408

Details: Open Until Filled

 

Fire Engineer

Fire

Rate of Pay: $37,236 – $39,108

Details: Open Until Filled

 

STAFF DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST I

Social Services

Rate of Pay: $37,236 – $39,108

Details: Open Until Filled

 

EMT – Paramedic (P/T)

EMS

Rate of Pay: $16.97

Details: Open Until Filled (6 Positions) (Hours Vary)

 

EMT Basic

EMS

Rate of Pay: $29,880 – $31,392

Details: Open Until Filled (3 Positions)

 

EMT – Paramedic

EMS

Details: Open Until Filled (4 Positions) New Pay Scale

 

Community Paramedic

EMS

Rate of Pay: $41,616

Details: Position is Open Until Filled

 

SW SUPERVISOR III (Foster Care)

Social Services

Rate of Pay: $48,504 – $50,916

Details: Closing Date: Until Filled

 

Detention Officer

Detention

Rate of Pay: $33,432 – $35,088

Status: Until Filled

Details: www.vancecountysheriff.org for application

 

Firefighter/Fire Engineer (PT)

Fire

Rate of Pay: $12.32

Details: Open Until Filled

 

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Pre-K, Kindergarten Registration Event Mar. 22 At L.B. Yancey

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Parents with children ready to enter kindergarten or pre-kindergarten in the 2022-23 school year have an opportunity to complete the registration process next week at L.B. Yancey Elementary School.

The registration event will be held on Tuesday, Mar. 22 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Perry Memorial Library Pop-Up Library will be on site as well, providing stories about the lovable Pet the Cat, according to information from Vance County Schools’ Director of Communication and Marketing Aarika Sandlin.

Children will enjoy listening to some of Pete the Cat’s stories, and there will be free hotdogs, chips and juice for all, plus karaoke, parachute games and much more.

The rain date is Tuesday, Mar. 29, from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day Thursday in Downtown Henderson

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Shamrocks on Breckenridge is just a few days away – come to downtown Henderson on Thursday, Mar. 17 to enjoy food vendors and entertainment to observe St. Patrick’s Day!

Amanda Ellis, chair of the Henderson-Vance Downtown Development Commission, reminds everyone to wear green to add to the festive atmosphere on Breckenridge Street from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The band Purple Admonition is scheduled to perform, as well as a 6:30 show by the Ballet Arts “Cloggers,” Ellis said.

Food trucks from RJ Wings & Things and Big Rob’s Fred Robertson will be on hand, as well as  Ryan Ball’s Kona Ice. Sandra Abbott and Westwood Church will have beverages.

The Arts Council will have cards for attendees to go on a scavenger hunt. Those who complete the card will get a prize.

Participating vendors include:

Participating vendors include:

  • H.A.P.E. & The Gateway Center – Tracy Moseley & Heather Joi Kenney
  • Gang Free, Inc. – Melissa Elliott
  • Turning Point Community Development (Mobile Learning Lab) – Chalis Henderson & Kate Delahanty
  • Vance County Tourism – Pam Hester
  • Vance County Sheriff’s Office – Curtis Brame & Debbie Scott
  • Granville-Vance Public Health – Gerald McNair
  • Perry Memorial Library –
  • Henderson-Vance Crime Stoppers – Frankie Nobles
  • Franklin-Granville-Vance Partnership – Smart Start – Gary Daeke
  • Henderson Family YMCA – Christine Bennerson
  • Henderson-Vance Downtown Development – Tracy Madigan / Amanda Ellis
  • Vance County Arts Council – Alice Sallins
  • Henderson-Vance Parks and Recreation – Kendrick Vann

TownTalk: Purr Partners Helps Cats And Kittens Find Furever Homes

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Purr Partners is a local nonprofit rescue group that finds homes for cats. Co-founder Lawanna Johnson said she and her teams of volunteers work tirelessly to care for their wards, whether they come from shelters, from owner surrenders or from hoarding situations.

“Our mission has always been that we would be advocates for cats,” Johnson said. Right now, there are a little over a hundred cats that are in their care, with about 40 available for adoption at any given time.

Volunteers are caring for several feline mamas and their kittens right now, she told fellow cat lover Bill Harris on Monday’s Town Talk. And that is just the tip of the iceberg, Johnson noted, because the dreaded “kitten season” is fast approaching.

Reducing the pet overpopulation problem is also part of Purr Partner’s over-arching goal. Educating pet owners about having their animals spayed or neutered is a critical piece of the problem, she said. While there aren’t that many no-cost or low-cost programs that serve our area, there are several places that offer discounts for having animals – usually dogs and cats – spayed or neutered.

Traditionally, the county animal shelter is where unwanted animals – again, usually dogs and cats – are held until they can be adopted. But Johnson said cats are surrendered much more often and are euthanized at much greater rates than dogs.

Purr Partners uses annual data from the state Department of Agriculture to identify high-kill shelters and then work with those shelters to get cats into the rescue and try to get them adopted.

There simply are not enough homes and not enough places to house all the cats that need to find a safe place to live, she said. They don’t just get cats from shelters, Johnson said. Just one day ago, they took in six cats from the western part of the state that were removed from a hoarding situation. Since July, she said, they have gotten as many as 20 cats at once that were removed from a hoarding situation.

As a rescue organization, Purr Partners also finds itself having to say “no” to additional cats when they are tight on space. “We can’t always help,” she said. “We just don’t have enough space.”

Unaltered female felines can get pregnant every 8-10 weeks, Johnson said. With the average litter producing 4-5 kittens, it’s easy to see how important spaying and neutering becomes in the quest to reduce the unwanted pet population.

“We try to educate people on how to handle the problem,” she explained. All the cats that are adopted through Purr Partners are spayed or neutered.

Cats can make wonderful pets, Johnson said, and they surely have different personalities. Some cats are lovable, stay-in-your-lap kind of pets, while others are aloof and shun interaction with their humans. “I find them endlessly fascinating,” she said.

But Purr Partners works hard to match cat personalities with what prospective adopters are looking for to ensure that the cats find forever homes.

“We don’t adopt kittens under six months into single-cat households,” she said. “If you want a kitten, you need to get two.” Kittens need another cat to teach them manners and for socialization, she said. “There’s a reason kittens are born into litters.”

Visit https://www.purrpartners.org/ to learn more about the organization, email Johnson at purrpartners@yahoo.com and visit their Facebook page to see the cats currently available for adoption.

 

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MAKO Medical Kicks in $10K To Help Fund Vance Ed Foundation Grants For Teachers

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MAKO Medical has donated $10,000 to the Vance County Public School Foundation to support a grant program for funding in 2022-23.  But the North Carolina-based medical lab has taken it one step further and issued a challenge to the community: They will match dollar-for-dollar all future donations from area businesses and individuals up to $10,000.

The grant is called Learning that Extends Actual Performance – or LEAP, for short.

Teachers in Vance County Public Schools can submit project applications beginning Mar. 25. A committee will evaluate the applications and award the grants to recipients at the August teacher Convocation, according to a press statement from VCS Director of Communication and Marketing Aarika Sandlin.

Josh Arant, MAKO Medical’s chief operating officer, said helping classroom teachers is a great way to invest in the community.

“The past two years have been hard on students, teachers and their families,” Arant said in a press statement. “We want to help support our educators and inspire innovation in Vance County. I hope other individuals and companies will join us.”

Five educators received grants in 2021 to support projects aimed at enriching students’ classroom experience, Sandlin stated.

VCS Superintendent Dr. Cindy Bennett praised MAKO for its generosity. “We are so grateful for the financial support and the confidence that MAKO has in the work we are doing in Vance County Schools,” Bennett said.

“Every dollar donated will support the experiences and engaging opportunities our teachers will design and share with our students. MAKO has again demonstrated their amazing support for this community,” she continued.

The foundation will provide an additional $10,000, bringing the total – so far – to $20,000 to fund the grants for next year.

Donations as part of the MAKO Match challenge – with “MAKO Match” in the memo line – can be sent to the following address:

Vance County Schools Public School Foundation

P.O. Box 2956

Henderson, NC 27536

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County Broadband Expansion Possible If Grants Come Through

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The Vance County Board of Commissioners heard a report from the Technology Committee at its Mar. 7 meeting and entered into a memorandum of understanding with CenturyLink to approve authorizing up to $750,000 in funding to expand broadband capacity across the county.

This action is contingent on a grant application by CenturyLink to get money from the NC GREAT grant partnership. GREAT stands for Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology.

The memorandum of understanding with CenturyLink would create a partnership that would commit the county to provide 10 percent of the overall project cost – up to $750,000 in ARPA funding – to allow for the addition of approximately 110 miles of fiber lines installed in the county that would be available to 2,261 premises across the county.

The Technology Committee was made aware that $380 million is available for the next round of grant funding; applications are being accepted through April 4, 2022. CenturyLink is scheduled to submit an application before this April deadline.

This county’s contribution would come from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and it would only be contributed if CenturyLink’s grant application is accepted, according to information from the commissioners’ agenda.

Local governments are not eligible to apply for GREAT grants, but they may partner with internet service providers that have an interest in expanding coverage. The maximum grant amount per applicant is $4 million and the maximum amount per county is $8 million.

Charter/Spectrum recently received funding from the federal Rural Digital Opportunities Fund (RDOF), which will allow for broadband improvements in parts of the county over the next few years, the agenda information stated.