WIZS Radio Henderson Local News 05-15-24 Noon
Click Play to Listen. On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
TownTalk: Edmonds Uses Tennis To Promote Oral Health
The tennis courts at Fox Pond Park will be occupied Saturday with young people swinging racquets and … toothbrushes?
That’s right, it’s Tennis and Dentist Community Fun Day, hosted by Edmonds Tennis and Education Foundation.
Young people ages 5-18 are invited to come out to the park for the event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fox Pond Park is located at 375 Vicksboro Rd.
Participants will get free tennis lessons from some tennis experts and they’ll learn the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene from a couple of local tooth experts.
Dr. Jerry Edmonds, III and his wife Dorcel launched the 501c3 in 2018 and this is their third fun day event to introduce the sport of tennis to young people.
The foundation was named National Junior Tennis Learning Chapter of the Year back at a meeting in January, at which time the 17 North Carolina NJTL chapters were challenged with coming up with an innovative way to teach tennis in combination with a community learning experience.
Edmonds said his wife came up with the idea on the drive back home from the meeting.
The foundation uses the game of tennis as a vehicle to foster and develop positive character traits including integrity, honesty and more, Edmonds said.
And since May is National Tennis Month, they’re offering a tennis clinic and an oral hygiene clinic. But this clinic won’t have kids opening wide for the dentist to peer inside at teeth and gums; rather, there will giveaways of things like toothbrushes, floss and more, Edmonds said.
“The goal is to teach (children) early on the importance of good dental hygiene,” he said.
Granville Vance Public Health representatives will be on hand with information about its dental clinic, for example, and its school-based program called “The Tooth Club.”
Last year, the foundation awarded 17 $500 scholarships to graduating high school seniors to use toward college costs.
Sponsorships are vital to the foundation’s scholarship program, but Edmonds said the “secret sauce” is pairing local sponsors with those scholarship recipients to create a mentor/mentee relationship.
Through the scholarship program, tennis clinics and more, Edmonds said he hopes the foundation is creating “an army of givers” who will spread out across the community and beyond and to keep coming up with ways to be involved.
CLICK PLAY!
TownTalk: Vance Granville Helping Small Businesses
Dr. Jerry Edmonds, III, vice president of Workforce Development and Community Engagement at Vance-Granville Community, said he’s proud of the way the community supports small businesses and entrepreneurs. It may make his job just a bit easier, too.
From local government to the Chamber of Commerce, the network of support is a strong one for new business owners in the area.
“It seems like every week we’re having a small business ribbon-cutting,” Edmonds said on Tuesday’s TownTalk.
And those business owners have a valuable resource at VGCC – the Small Business Center. SBC Director Carolyn Perry’s office is located at the VGCC South Campus in Creedmoor, but Edmonds said she travels throughout the four-county area to help small business owners.
The services are free, and help individuals with anything from startup to counseling hours – it’s all designed to make sure that new businesses stay in business.
Statistics show that new businesses most often fail within the first five years, and Edmonds said the SBC is here to help during that initial period and beyond to help businesses continue to thrive. “We’re intentional,” he said. “We really try to mentor them and make sure they make it through that crucial five years.”
Whether you’ve been in business for awhile and maybe need a sounding board for advice or you’re thinking about starting your own business, the SBC is here to serve.
“Our job is to help business owners, be they startups or those that have been in business for years,” Edmonds said, adding that the local SBC help between 10-15 new businesses each year and provide help to retain that many businesses as well.
Visit www.vgcc.edu to learn more.
CLICK PLAY!
The Local Skinny! Making Things Happen Downtown
The Henderson City Council Monday approved a tax incentive program to encourage downtown business owners to make improvements to the overall appearance of downtown without adding to their tax bill.
Downtown Development Coordinator Tracy Madigan explained on Tuesday’s segment of The Local Skinny! that the tax incentives would occur over a five-year period. The idea is pretty simple: when a business owner makes improvements to a building’s interior or exterior, the presumption that the property value – and associated tax – would also increase.
Through the tax incentive program, Madigan said the additional tax amount would be waived 100 percent. In Year 2, the percent would drop to 80 percent, and continue at that rate until Year 5, when the tax due would be 20 percent of the higher tax bill.
There are programs in place to help downtown businesses with items like new awnings and signs, she said, but the tax incentive plan provides “a little more meat” to support existing businesses and to encourage new businesses to come downtown.
“This has a lot of teeth to incentivize (downtown business owners) and make improvements downtown,” Madigan said. It’s just one of the things in the proverbial pipeline that she said would motivate improvements in the overall appearance of the downtown area.
Madigan said recent changes made by the City Council to create a separate board to oversee the city’s participation in the NC Main Street program is just one way to strengthen downtown revitalization efforts. The newly created board can focus specifically on the Main Street Program. Previously, the Henderson-Vance Downtown Development Commission board had served in this capacity, and Madigan said creating a new board to focus on the Main Street program will free up the HVDC board to implement additional strategies to support downtown revitalization.
“It’s a way to improve downtown from two different directions – and get more done,” she said.
CLICK PLAY!
WIZS Radio Henderson Local News 05-14-24 Noon
Click Play to Listen. On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
TownTalk: Board of Equalization and Review Hears Appeals
Vance County residents who want to learn more about the revaluation process and just how it will affect their tax bill can attend an information session on May 20 at 4 p.m. The info session will take place in the county administration building, known commonly still as “the old courthouse.”
One tidbit of information that may have been helpful for a handful of residents who appeared before the board of equalization and review last week: Have proper documentation to support your case for a lower valuation.
Another important tidbit: The appeals process ends June 3. It’s almost mid-May, so property owners who want to contest their revaluations need to get busy.
The county’s board of commissioners doubles as the board of equalization and review, and although some residents provided anecdotal evidence and even photographs to support their remarks, commissioners time and again said they needed written documentation.
Each of the five cases that were heard also were continued, and commissioners offered suggestions to help the property owners understand what was needed.
“A common theme tonight is that some people just don’t understand what information they need to bring,” said Commission Chair Dan Brummitt. Brummitt also said more information needs to be shared with the public about several exemptions that are available for property owners.
“They all have evidence…but they didn’t bring it,” Brummitt said.
One woman spoke and said there was no way her home could be valued at $103,000 – she lives among at least two abandoned homes, squatters living in a former business nearby and a hoarder one street away. She had pictures but nothing in writing, so commissioners, although sympathetic, said she didn’t have proper documentation to support her appeal.
Upon learning that the boarded-up house next door had sold for $12,000, commissioners encouraged the homeowner to request that public information – available at the tax office – to then present to the E & R on appeal.
Another woman who lives near Kittrell said her property value went from $50,000 to $109,000.
“I live in a doublewide, an old doublewide,” she said. And although she no longer has the swimming pool, outbuilding or deck on her property, “my property tax went up,” she said.
Brummitt said each property listing has a tax card that includes comparable properties. They’re on the back of the tax card, he said.
This resident said $75,000 is a more realistic price for her property, but Brummitt asked what documentation she had to support that claim. Comps could be one way to document similar properties and their values.
The county’s website has posted a lot of pertinent information about the appeals process, and tax office staff is available to answer questions, said Commissioner Yolanda Feimster.
“They’re there to answer your questions,” Feimster said, adding that staff is willing to extend any assistance needed to residents.
Not everybody is computer savvy or computer literate, and Commissioner Leo Kelly said senior adults especially may need a little extra help. “The information is overwhelming,” he said. “It’s just too much information all at one time.”
County Manager C. Renee Perry told WIZS in an earlier interview that the county is working on a tight deadline. Perry said “the plan is for the Board of E&R to open on May 6 and close on June 3. The last day to appeal will be June 3.”
Visit www.vancecounty.org/departments/tax-overview to learn more. Call the tax office at 252.738.2040.
CLICK PLAY!
The Local Skinny: Granville Vance Public Health Receives Recognition
The Care Management High Risk Pregnancy Program at Granville Vance Public Health has received the “Friend of WIC” award by the NC Dept. of Health and Human Community Nutrition Service section for its commitment to providing quality services and advocating for its participants.
The award follows the nomination of GVPH Care Manager and social worker, Phylicia Evans, for the Institute for Family’s 2024 Family Champion Award, according to information from GVPH. Evans was recognized for her work as a social worker in North Carolina who goes the extra mile to support her community and to connect countless families in the community to essential services and resources.
The Friend of WIC award recognizes continued collaboration and outstanding support of the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program. Selection is based on demonstration of commitment to improving WIC Program services and continual advocacy for program services and participants.
Kristy Walker, Pregnancy Care Management Supervisor, accepted the award on behalf of Granville Vance Public Health (GVPH). “The ongoing collaboration between the Care Management High Risk Pregnancy Program (CMHRP) Program and the WIC Program reflects a shared commitment to advocating for the well-being of participants,” Walker stated. “Through regular reporting, communication channels, and coordinated efforts, both programs work together to enhance service delivery and participant satisfaction.”
The CMHRP Program at GVPH has established several proactive initiatives to ensure that all patients have access to improved WIC Program services, including streamlining the enrollment process to increase WIC Program participation. GVPH staff also leverage Medicaid eligibility with WIC benefits to provide additional nutritional support and use technology to identify participants who may need additional assistance from care managers.
The CMHRP Program also promotes WIC Program services by facilitating direct communication during office visits or remote interactions to provide comprehensive support and guidance regarding WIC benefits. Program staff advocate for a holistic care approach that addresses participants’ nutritional needs alongside their high-risk pregnancy management.
Lauren Faulkner, GVPH WIC director, said she is “thrilled” that CMHRP Program has been recognized for the honor. “It’s a reminder of the impact we can make and motivates us to keep improving and evolving our services for the community.”
For more information on GVPH maternal health programs, please go to our website: www.gvph.org/clinic/maternal-health-clinic
CLICK PLAY!
WIZS Radio Henderson Local News 05-13-24 Noon
Click Play to Listen. On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
Schools Provide Support To Students Facing First Weekend At Emergency Shelter
The 70 or so children who have spent this week with their families and others at a local shelter face their first weekend away from the place they once called home.
The situation is certainly not ideal, but Vance County Schools Superintendent Dr. Cindy Bennett told WIZS News earlier Friday that district staff has put together some activities for the children to help get through the next couple of days when they’re not in school and things are far from “normal.”
“For the weekend, we are providing totes with art supplies, reading materials, board games and indoor/outdoor physical education items,” Bennett said.
On Monday, about 40 families moved to a shelter that was set up in the gym on the former campus of Eaton Johnson Middle School.
They had been extended-stay residents at a hotel located on Parham Road – some for longer than a year.
Earlier this week, Henderson Mayor Melissa Elliott said she was encouraged to see the community support as churches, schools and city and county leaders have rallied to create a caring network for the families who had to move to the shelter.
Henderson City Manager Terrell Blackmon said the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services is in charge of the shelter, with the cooperation of Vance County. The city’s role is limited and one of support to NCDHSS and other agencies in charge, Blackmon explained. “Our role at this point is to be an advocate for the families and to ensure that the motel remains closed for occupancy until the owners mitigate the violations at the property and bring it into compliance with the state building code.”
The city issued a zoning violation in addition to various fire code violations, Blackmon said, the majority of which are related to the state building code, which falls under the county inspections department.
The circumstances have been challenging, to be sure, but Bennett said that the district has worked to provide food, transportation and more to the children who attend Vance County Schools and their families.
“All of the VCS students who are staying in the shelter are still attending school- we have rerouted our buses to ensure they are picked up and delivered back to the shelter each day,” Bennett said in an email.
Members of the district’s Students Services team members are helping the shelter to get the children off to school in the morning and to greet them up on their return in the afternoon, she said.
The Student Behavioral Health Team is working with parents to identify new clothing that has been donated for the children, and breakfast and lunch are provided at no charge each day.
“Students who are displaced are identified as McKinney-Vento and additional resources are being added when needed. The district has also had a social worker, nurse and counselor at the shelter each day this week to support the families and help connect them with community resources,” Bennett explained.
“We are there to support in any way we can,” Blackmon said of the city’s response to the situation. But, he added, “the services currently most needed by these families at the shelter are provided by the state, county and local nonprofit agencies.”
One Man Arrested On Drug Charges; Cocaine, Heroin, Fentanyl And Guns Seized
-information courtesy of Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow
On May 09, 2024 the Henderson Police Department and Vance County Sheriff’s Office served two narcotic search warrants at 561 McBorn St. and 394 South Lake Lodge Rd., Lot 3.
During the service of both warrants, approximately 192 grams of cocaine, 63 grams of heroin, 101 grams of Fentanyl, drug manufacturing equipment and two firearms were seized.
Keylan Douglas Johnson, 31, was arrested in relation to the investigation. Johnson was on pretrial release at the time of the arrest, Barrow said.
Johnson was charged with three counts of trafficking heroin, one count of trafficking cocaine, one count of possession with intent to manufacture, sell, deliver schedule II, one count of manufacturing schedule I, one count of manufacturing cocaine, one count of possession with intent to manufacture, sell, deliver heroin, one count of possession with intent to manufacture, sell, deliver cocaine, three counts of maintaining a dwelling place for a controlled substance, one count of possession of marijuana paraphernalia, one count of possession of drug paraphernalia, not marijuana, two counts of firearm by felon and one count of possession of a weapon of mass destruction.
Johnson received no bond and was remanded to the Vance County Detention Center until his next court date.