TownTalk: Patrick Bailey Speaks At Local GOP Rally

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Patrick Bailey wants to be the next sheriff of Vance County. The Republican candidate was one of several speakers who spoke during a Vance County GOP fundraiser last week in Henderson. Bailey spoke for almost 15 minutes on topics ranging from Second Amendment rights to the opioid epidemic.

“We need a change,” Bailey said, which prompted applause from the audience. “We need to make Vance County safe again – it’s not safe now.”

He said he would support the Second Amendment right to bear arms as sheriff of Vance County. “The Second Amendment right stands as it is,” he said, which elicited more applause and shouts of support from the 300 or so gathered at the fundraiser.

“We’ve got people running around… in our stores that are criminals carrying guns and what does Washington want to do? Washington wants to come in and make more laws that are binding us as law-abiding citizens so that we can’t go out and buy a gun as easily as we have been.”

As he has traveled across the county to the various townships and communities, Bailey said the Number 1 issue on people’s minds is drugs. According to Bailey, Vance County holds the unenviable spot of being the top county in the import of opium. (He did not cite a source for this statistic.) That means that the majority of the illegal drugs come through Vance County first before being distributed to surrounding counties, across the state and elsewhere.

Bailey said the sheriff’s office desperately needs a drug interdiction unit to catch drugs as they are transported up and down the interstate. He also said the sheriff’s office needs well trained officers who know the law and how to enforce it.

Residents can identify particular spots where drugs are being sold, but there is little being done to shut them down. “We need undercover agents working in these townships and locating drug houses and getting rid of them,” he said.

But the issue has two fronts to battle – the people who deal the drugs and the users who buy them. Bailey said mental health workers need to be working with families of substance abusers to get them help.

The only way to achieve results, he said, is for Republicans to get out and vote. He said of the county’s 24,000 registered voters, only 1,200 Republicans cast ballots in the May primary.

“You’ve got to tell all of your friends, all of your family (to vote),” he said, from local elections all the way up to the president of the United States. “We need to get (the) Democrats out of office.”

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TownTalk: Sandy Smith Speaks At Local GOP Rally

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Sandy Smith is running for U.S. Congress in North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, which includes Vance and Warren counties. Smith, a Republican, joined other GOP candidates in Henderson last week for a Vance County GOP fundraiser.

Smith spoke to the crowd of about 300 for just more than five minutes in the afternoon heat at the former Charles Boyd Chevrolet location on US Hwy 158.

It was a fitting spot for her to bring up increased gas prices and what she called “out of control inflation.”

Smith said she travels in a 40-foot bus on the campaign trail, and said she dared not tell how much it costs to fill that tank. It runs on diesel fuel.

“We need to open the pipelines and be energy independent,” she proclaimed, which drew cheers from the audience. “And after we are energy independent again, we are going to focus on being energy dominant through the world,” she continued.

She vowed to protect the Second Amendment right to bear arms. “As your representative, I’m going to fight to protect your Second Amendment with every fiber of my being. We are not going to pass any red flag bills…we are not going to take away your Second Amendment right. Our gun rights are absolute rights.”

The fundraiser was held on June 24, the same day that the Supreme Court reversed the Roe v. Wade abortion rights law. Smith used that news to illustrate the importance of Republican lawmakers and their role in government.

“Our work is just beginning,” Smith said. “We need true, Constitutional conservatives” in office.

“We also need to protect our children who are being targeted in schools and indoctrinated,” Smith said. The self-professed pro-life candidate said she believes life begins at conception, and that there are two genders “decided at conception by our Creator.” She said schools need to get back to the basics and that children need to learn how to read, write and do basic math. “They don’t need to be discussing their sexuality.”

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Council To Hold Special Meeting To Consider Gun Violence Resolution

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The Henderson City Council will hold a special called meeting tomorrow (Tuesday) at 12 noon to consider approving a resolution which declares gun violence a public health issue.

The meeting will be held in person in Council Chambers, 134 Rose Ave. and the public is welcome to observe, according to information from the City of Henderson.

Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow said the resolution is being presented for consideration in light of the national trend of gun violence, including recent incidents right here in Henderson. In an email to WIZS News, Barrow said “just like many of our neighboring counties and communities, our citizenry suffers when events occur. Hopefully, this is a proactive measure to show unity, spark engagement and identify further resources to combat this sort of activity.”

Barrow said the mayor, city council and city manager “have continuously provided for and supported the efforts of the Henderson Police Department through our use of programs such as Project Safe Neighborhood, and having long-term partnerships with the ATF, DEA, and SBI. They have also supported our efforts to seek grant funding for programs and technology at the state and national level.”

This is one effort to try “to show a unified, all-encompassing approach to public safety,” he continued. “It has been said many times, we will not be able to “arrest” our way out of this national issue.”

Pick One Or More Area Fireworks Displays This Weekend

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If you plan your holiday weekend right, and don’t mind spending a little money for gas, there are several fireworks displays planned in the area that are sure to light up the night sky and dazzle onlookers.

• The Henderson-Vance Recreation & Parks Department is hosting its annual event on Friday evening at Fox Pond Park. The park will close at 7 p.m. and no parking will be allowed at the park, but a free shuttle service will pick up visitors at Aycock Rec Center beginning at 5 p.m. and will continue until about 8:45 p.m. There will be food vendors on site at the park and the fireworks show is set to begin about 9 p.m. Visit https://www.kerrlake-nc.com/event-details.php?event=268 to learn more.

• Lake Holt in Creedmoor is the site of Granville County’s fireworks show on Friday, July 1. The lake entrance is located at 1100 Lake Holt Rd. off Old Hwy. 75 in Butner. Gates open at 6 p.m. for the event, and parking and security is provided by officers of the Creedmoor Police Dept, Butner Public Safety, the Oxford Police Dept., the Granville County Sheriff’s Dept., Creedmoor Fire Dept., Stem Fire Dept. and the Junior Volunteer Fire Dept. Make sure you’re through the gates no later than 8:45 p.m., because no one will be allowed to enter after that time. The show will begin once it’s dark. Visit https://www.cityofcreedmoor.org/departments/recreation/events/fourth-of-july-picnic-fireworks to learn more.

• Then, on Saturday, July 2, head on out to Satterwhite Point to watch the fireworks display sponsored by Vance County Tourism. Director Pam Hester said the event will feature food, live music and other vendors from 4 p.m. until dark, with fireworks beginning around 9:15 p.m. Reminder: alcohol is not permitted at state parks – including Satterwhite Point – and there is a $7 park entrance gate fee. Visit http://www.kerrlake-nc.com/event-details.php?event=267 to learn more.

• If you’re closer to Cokesbury than Satterwhite Point on Saturday, you can check out what Cokesbury Volunteer Fire Department has to offer. Chief Adam Pegram said gates open at 6 p.m. There will be food vendors on site and the fireworks will begin around dark.

• Unfortunately, the fireworks show scheduled for Franklin County was cancelled for this year following a recent fatal fire at a Lenoir County warehouse where the fireworks that were to be used in Franklin County had been stored. In addition to the fatality, several firefighters were injured in the June 11 blaze. There was not enough time to find replacement fireworks, so Franklin County officials cancelled the event.

TownTalk: Lt. Governor Robinson Speaks to Local GOP

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Full Mark Robinson audio included below.

Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson was the featured speaker at a Vance County GOP fundraiser on Friday, and he exhorted those in attendance to stay focused on the task at hand – that being the November midterm elections.

The fundraiser was held at the former Charles Boyd Chevrolet lot on US Hwy. 158. About 300 were in attendance, as well as other local candidates on the November ballot.

Robinson’s speech, which was broadcast live on WIZS Friday afternoon, was rebroadcast – unedited – during Monday’s TownTalk segment. He spoke for about 15 minutes and began his remarks celebrating the Friday Supreme Court reversal of Roe v. Wade.

“It’s been a long, hard battle to see that overturned,” Robinson said of the ruling to return abortion rights to states.

He said he is “thoroughly committed to protect the lives of the unborn,” and that he would strive to “make North Carolina the most pro-life state in the nation.” Earlier in his remarks, Robinson said he and his supporters would fight “tooth and nail to protect life in this state.”

While he hasn’t put his hat in the ring yet, Robinson alluded to his intention to run for governor in 2024.

Callers who either attended the event on Friday or listened to the rebroadcast Monday said they would approve of Robinson the gubernatorial candidate.

One caller said he attended Friday’s event and said it felt like “freedom was ringing in the air.”

Another caller said “he’s what we need. He’ll be a good governor…he’s a God-fearing man (and) he loves his country.”

Pointing to national issues like rising gas prices, inflation and what he called the failure of the Biden administration, Robinson said winning the mid-term elections was crucial in order to elect more conservative candidates.

“Let’s keep standing up and let’s keep fighting, folks. We have a nation to save. It’s only going to get saved if we stand up and do it.”

The audience erupted into applause and shouts periodically to show support for Robinson’s comments. He called the Jan. 6 investigation a “smokescreen” and said he wants to keep the country from becoming a “socialist hellhole.”

Sending conservative candidates to Washington, DC would ensure that Republicans would have a super majority in Congress, but he said it also is important to elect conservative candidates to local offices like school boards.

He said he speaks to people all the time who lament they are but one person and the job is large. To which he answers, he said: “There are no little people in this fight.” Whether stuffing envelopes or canvassing neighborhoods in a door-to-door campaign, Robinson said even small contributions have an impact.

“We’ve got to get up on our feet and do the work ourselves,” he said. “We”ve got a state to run and a nation to save.”

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“How To Grow Your Small Business” Lunch Event June 28 At VGCC Civic Center

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Area business owners have an opportunity to hear from a panel of experts who will discuss how to grow a small business. The program will be held Tuesday, June 28 from noon to 2 p.m. in the VGCC Civic Center on the Henderson campus.

MakoRx, a local business and member of the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce, has organized the “How to Grow Your Small Business” event, and Chamber President Michele Burgess said it will be a wonderful opportunity to learn strategies to help business owners – whether they’re getting a new startup off the ground or own a business that’s been around a long time.

Among the topics to be discussed: health care, HR relations, finances and employee retention.

Lunch will be provided.

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/371344951747.

Master Gardener Class Forming for Vance, Warren Counties

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N.C. Cooperative Extension is looking for a few good volunteers to join the Vance/Warren Master Gardenersm program. Applications are now being accepted for the 16-week training program, which will begin on Thursday, Aug.11, 2022 and will continue to meet on Thursday mornings.

During the course of the class, participants will learn about all aspects of gardening including fruits, vegetables, weeds, insects, diseases, trees, shrubs, turf and more. The class location will alternate between Henderson and Warrenton.

After training, each volunteer intern is required to provide 40 hours of service in various community outreach projects. No green thumb required, and many other skills are needed including public speaking, writing, photography, social media, event planning, graphic design, and much more. Recent volunteer projects have included demonstration gardens in both counties, newsletters, gardening workshops and seminars, youth education and more. The training fee is $125.

For more information, please visit http://go.ncsu.edu/mgvw or call 252.438.8188 (Vance County) or 252.257.3640 (Warren County).

SportsTalk: Vance Charter Cheerleaders Heading to Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade

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From a sealed envelope after a recent cheerleading practice, the 21 girls who make up the Vance Charter Cheerleading team discovered that they had been selected to participate in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City. Stacey Long, the girls’ coach, said there was excitement followed by disbelief. “Is this really happening,” Long quoted the girls as asking on Thursday’s edition of SportsTalk.

No cheerleading team from the area has ever been selected to participate in the parade. Vance Charter will be the first. The hard work and practice has paid off. The team practices a couple of times a week and it was only last school year that Vance Charter participated in its first competition. In February, they went to their second competition and took first place resulting in an invitation to submit a video, FAQ sheet, GPA’s and titles to the parade organization. Two days after submission came the reply that Vance Charter’s Cheerleading squad would be included in this year’s parade.

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Long said of the invitation. Long also said that it will be expensive, around $3,000 per girl, to make the trip to the Big Apple for the parade. To that end, fundraising efforts have begun with a goal of $70,000 for the trip which will last for six nights and include various sightseeing opportunities in addition to the participation in the parade. To help with fundraising efforts, the team is going to businesses seeking sponsorships and will have a calendar fundraiser along with conducting a cheerleader camp. The cheerleader camp will cost participants $150 per person with all of the money from the camp and other fund raising projects going to send the Vance Charter Cheerleaders to New York City.

Bronze level sponsorships are $500, Silver is $1,000, Gold $1,500 and Platinum level is $2,500. All donations of any monetary value are welcomed. For more information on how to donate see their Facebook page at facebook.com/Vance-Charter-High-School-Cheerleading-105276945550598 or call Stacey Long at 919-691-3279.

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