Rebuilding Hope’s Servants On Site Set For June 23-27

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The early bird gets the worm, or in this case, a break on the cost of registering for the summertime Servants On Site program sponsored by Rebuilding Hope, Inc.

The dates are already set – June 23-27 – and early registration deadline is Jan. 15, according to information from the Rebuilding Hope, Inc. newsletter.

Registrations received by Jan. 15 will pay a total of $150; after Jan. 15, the cost will go up to $200. A deposit of $50 is required with registrations.

The fee covers the cost of a theme T-shirt, meals and lodging and scholarships are available.

SOS is described as a week of work, worship and witness in Vance and surrounding counties. It is a mission opportunity for youth – participants need to have completed sixth grade by the time SOS begins.

During the day, participants will work to repair and renovate homes in the area; there will be opportunities for fellowship and sharing the gospel, too, from daily devotions to worship services each evening.

Visit https://rebuildinghopeinc.org/  to learn more.

Visit info@rebuildinghopeinc.org for scholarship information.

Leadership Vance 2025 Application Period Open Now Through Jan. 24

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The 2025 class of Leadership Vance is forming now, and local Chamber of Commerce officials encourage individuals to consider applying for a spot now.

Applications will be accepted through Friday, Jan. 24, according to information from Chamber President Sandra Wilkerson. This will be the 34th class to participate in the program, which gives participants a chance to learn all about Vance County from A to Z.

Over seven months, the structured program is designed to create a corps of informed and dedicated emerging leaders, giving members an in-depth knowledge of the county in which they live and work.

 

The class will be capped at 18; Wilkerson asks that no payment be made until participants are notified of acceptance.

Contact the Chamber office for more information about the cost and time commitment. The initial orientation is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025.

Call or drop by the Chamber office, 414 S. Garnett St., Henderson (252.438.8414) or email Wilkerson sandra@hendersonvance.org.

 

Kerr-Tar COG Seeks Sponsors For 2025 N.C. Senior Games

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Local businesses and individuals still have time to become sponsors for the 2025 Kerr-Tar Regional Senior Games, held each spring across the five counties that comprise the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments.

Sponsorship levels include:

Gold – $1,500

Silver – $1,000

Bronze – $500

Family – $250

Friend – $100

Sponsors can choose to provide regionwide support or a specific county, according to information from KTCOG officials. Make checks payable to Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments to provide regionwide support or to your local Senior Center to support a particular county.

The Senior Games holds events in all five counties and involves adults 50 years and older in a variety of athletic events, as well as Silver Arts, which includes creative and performing arts.

In 2024, more than 223 local athletes participated in more than 50 sporting events and Silver Arts categories. Even more participants are expected for the 2025 games. First- and second-place winners qualify for the state finals, and state finals winners advance to the National Senior Games, held every two years.

For more information, contact local coordinator Michael Patterson or local co-coordinator Crystal Allen at 252.436.2040 or by email at mpatterson@kerrtarcog.org or callen@kerrtarcog.org.

The Local Skinny! Variety Wholesalers To Add Big Lots To Its List Of Stores

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Henderson-based Variety Wholesalers is acquiring hundreds of Big Lots stores and a couple of distribution centers, practically doubling the number of retail stores it operates in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic.

Add Big Lots to the 380 or so Roses, Roses Express, Maxway, Bill’s Dollar Stores, Super 10, Super Dollar and Bargain Town stores that currently are operated by Variety Wholesalers.

The deal is part of a sale announced Dec. 27 to Gordon Brothers Retail Partners which  enables the transfer of between 200 and 400 Big Lots locations to Variety Wholesalers, according to information provided by Big Lots, Inc.

Big Lots filed for bankruptcy in September 2024.

Lisa Seigies, Variety Wholesalers’ president and CEO, said, “We are excited to partner with Gordon Brothers to provide a path forward for the Big Lots brand and hundreds of its stores. We look forward to working with members of the Big Lots team to realize the exciting opportunities ahead.”

Bruce Thorn, Big Lots’ president and chief executive officer, said, “The strategic sale to Gordon Brothers and the transfer to Variety Wholesalers is a favorable and significant achievement for Big Lots that reflects the tireless work and collective effort of our team. This sale agreement and transfer present the strongest opportunity to preserve jobs, maximize value for the estate and ensure continuity of the Big Lots brand. We are grateful to our associates nationwide for their grit and resilience throughout this process.”

Rick Edwards, Gordon Brothers Retail Partners’ Head of North America Retail, said, “We are pleased to reach this strategic agreement with Big Lots and partner with Variety Wholesalers to achieve a path forward that allows Big Lots to continue to serve customers with extreme bargains and an outstanding shopping experience.”

 

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Remembering President Jimmy Carter

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President Carter works in his study on November 7, 1977. Featured image (Credit: Jimmy Carter Library)

U.S. flags will be flown at half-staff for 30 days as the nation and the world mourn the loss of former President Jimmy Carter, who died on Dec. 29, 2024 at the age of 100.

Carter was elected as the 39th president in 1976.

He served only one term, having been defeated by Republican Ronald Reagan in 1980. The Carter administration dealt with highs and lows domestically and abroad, from heightened inflation, rising gas prices and the Iran hostage crisis to creating the U.S. Department of Education and brokering Mideast peace talks between Egypt and Israel.

Bill Harris, Scout Hughes, Steve Lewis and John Charles Rose of WIZS offered observations of Carter’s legacy.

Harris said he was 17 years old when Carter became president. “He always came off as someone who was terribly honest,” he said, which sometimes worked against him.

“He just seemed like a kind man…who tried to make the world a better place,” Harris said. “Somebody you’d like to sit down and have a conversation with after church on Sunday.”

Lewis said what he remembers most about the former president is the way he “really cared about people. He was a true humanitarian…he cared more about folks,” Lewis continued, “than about promoting himself.”

Carter’s time in Washington was overshadowed by the Iran hostage crisis, when 52 Americans were held hostage for 444 days at the American embassy in Tehran.

Hughes noted that Carter was well known for accomplishments that happened after his term as president. “He’s done a lot of fantastic work, not just for the American people, but worldwide as well.”

Indeed, many Americans probably associate Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, with their work building houses for Habitat for Humanity.

The U.S. Navy lieutenant who rose to politics from humble beginnings as a peanut farmer from Plains, Ga. has left an indelible mark on the world with his compassion and quiet leadership.

In a written statement, President Joe Biden expressed gratitude for Carter and for a life well-lived. He also suggested that “young people in this nation and…anyone in search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning – the good life – study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith, and humility. He showed that we are great nation because we are a good people – decent and honorable, courageous and compassionate, humble and strong.”

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Carter Center Staff Tribute to Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter
Dec. 29, 2024

The bond of our common humanity is stronger than the divisiveness of our fears and prejudices. God gives us the capacity for choice. We can choose to alleviate suffering. We can choose to work together for peace. We can make these changes – and we must.  — Jimmy Carter Nobel Lecture, 2002

The global staff of The Carter Center mourns the passing of our visionary founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, whose long life of selfless service to humanity has left a lasting mark on us and on the world.

President Carter believed in giving every effort, as broadly as possible, to make a positive difference in the world. His legacy will remain an ongoing inspiration to us at The Carter Center and to everyone who believes in compassion, justice, and human rights.

We shall miss President Carter’s strong leadership and profound humility as we carry on his work of waging peace, fighting disease, and building hope.

In lieu of flowers, President Carter requested that those wishing to honor his memory do so through contributions to The Carter Center and acts of service to humanity. Please visit www.jimmycartertribute.org to make a memorial gift, sign a virtual condolence book, and learn more.

TownTalk: County Commissioners Reorganize After Alston Resignation

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Vance County Board of Commissioners Chair Sean A. Alston, Sr. is resigning to become a magistrate in Warren County.

County Manager C. Renee Perry said last week that Alston had called for a special called meeting for 10 a.m. today with the purpose stated as reorganization. No details were given when the meeting was announced.

Alston said he will step away from the commission tomorrow and will be sworn in as a magistrate on Wednesday, Jan. 1.

“It was a pleasure to be on this board for two years – I don’t want to go,” he said during the meeting. In an interview after the meeting, Alston told WIZS News that he had applied for a job as a magistrate before he became a county commissioner; as someone who has been self-employed, he said the opportunity to have state benefits and retirement was an opportunity he couldn’t turn down.

Sean Alston while doing an interview at WIZS in 2020.

He said he had “to disconnect” himself from politics before taking the magistrate position.

The board nominated Commissioner Carolyn Faines to be the new board chair, and in her first act as chair she asked to table the election of a vice chair until the regular board meeting on Jan. 6.

Commissioner Tommy Hester, however, asked to make a nomination during the special called meeting. Hester nominated Leo Kelly to be vice-chair. Although properly moved and seconded, the full board couldn’t agree when to elect the vice chair. That’s when county attorney Jonathan Care said the two motions on the floor needed to be acted upon. Although not unanimous, the board voted to table the election of the vice chair until its Jan. 6 meeting by approving the second motion on the table.

The next step is to appoint a qualified individual to assume Alston’s seat on the commission. The new commissioner should be from the same political and the same district as Alston.

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City Attorney Kingsberry Set To Become City Manager Jan. 13

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The City of Henderson will have a new city manager effective Jan. 13, 2025, following the appointment of Hassan Kingsberry to the position. In a 4-3 vote, the City Council voted last week to extend the offer to Kingsberry, who has served as interim city attorney since early December.

“As one who grew up on 520 Whitten Avenue, I am honored to serve as City Manager for the City of Henderson,” Kingsberry said in a press statement issued by the city received at WIZS on Friday.

“I look forward to collaborating with the City Council, staff, and community to achieve our shared goals and create opportunities for peace, prosperity, and progress.”

The city manager will oversee the day-to-day operations of Henderson’s government, manage its budget, and work closely with the City Council to implement strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing the quality of life for all Henderson residents.

Mayor Melissa Elliott called the second special called meeting in as many weeks to go into closed session to discuss a personnel matter.

When the group returned from the closed session, Council member Tami Walker made a motion to make Kingsberry the city manager.

Voting in favor were Walker, Geraldine Champion, Ola Thorpe-Cooper and Michael Venable. Council members Garry Daeke, Lamont Noel and Seifert voted against. Council member Sara Coffey was not present.

Following the first special called meeting on Sunday, Dec. 15, it was announced that City Manager Terrell Blackmon had resigned, effective Jan. 10.

Kingsberry was announced as the interim city attorney at the regular December Council meeting.

Blackmon submitted his letter of resignation on Wednesday, Dec. 11 – two days after the regular monthly Council meeting. He didn’t elaborate on any reason for his decision to resign. Blackmon told WIZS that his last day as manager will be Jan. 10. He came to work as manager in 2020.

He will go next to be one of two assistant city managers in Jacksonville, NC.

Vance Taxpayers Have Until Jan. 6 To Pay Tax Before Penalty Period Begins

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Vance County residents and taxpayers have until Jan. 6, 2025 to pay their property tax bills before getting hit with a 2 percent interest penalty. That may add insult to injury this year, when many taxpayers are facing higher bills as a result of the recent revaluation.

Vance County is among a handful of counties across the state that waits eight years – the state’s mandatory maximum interval to conduct revaluation – and some county leaders have said it needs to be done more often to reduce the sting and surprise of pricey tax bills.

Neither Vance County nor Henderson stayed with a revenue neutral rate, meaning an increase in value and an increase in the rate charged by each entity went up, combining in a way that nearly all parcel owners have had to pay more.

One issue that county officials said they will explore is splitting the tax bill to show the breakdown between city tax and county tax for those city residents who must pay both. This hasn’t been done in more than a decade, and a change could come as soon as the 2025 tax bill.

County commissioners adopted the 2024-25 budget on June 24, which included a 10-cent tax increase per $100 valuation. The basic breakdown of that 10-cent increase is $.01 for salary increases to help attract and retain county employees and $.09 for future capital projects.

As the county faces more opportunities for growth, be they commercial, industrial or residential, there also is a demand for adequate infrastructure to support that growth.

The question that municipalities and counties face is how to balance that growth – providing more services for residents, creating a better and bigger tax base that ultimately may reduce an undue burden on homeowners.

The Vance County budget was approved 4-2, with then-Board Chair Dan Brummitt and Tommy Hester casting votes of no. Commissioner Yolanda Feimster was not present. The motion was made by Commissioner Sean Alston and seconded by Commissioner Leo Kelly and rounding out the affirmative votes were Commissioner Carolyn Faines and then-Commissioner Archie Taylor.

It was not a unanimous decision, but the Henderson City Council voted to increase the property tax rate per $100 valuation to 65 cents, just before adopting the FY 2024-25 budget totaling more than $47 million.

In the budget recommended by City Manager Terrell Blackmon, the tax rate was 55 cents per $100 valuation, which was 10 cents above the revenue-neutral rate. The new property tax rate adopted, though, is 20 cents above the revenue-neutral rate.

Council Member Tami Walker made the motion to increase the tax, which she said would bring in more than $2.5 million in additional tax revenue. Council Member Ola Thorpe-Cooper seconded the motion. Council members Sam Seifert and Garry Daeke cast votes of no, and Council members Lamont Noel, Michael Venable, Geraldine Champion, Sara Coffey voted yes with Walker and Thorpe-Cooper.