Reflecting On The Life, Legacy Of Ernest C. Terry, 76

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Ernest Carlton Terry, 76, died on April 27, 2025 at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Durham. Terry spent his life in service to others, from his time in the U.S. Marine Corps to his work in Henderson as a local businessman and elected official.

The funeral for Terry was Wednesday, and his daughter Enesa said she and other family members are still coming to terms with her father’s unexpected passing.

Enesa offered reflections on her father’s life and told WIZS News this morning that her dad was a very loving man who loved his family, his friends and his community.

“My dad absolutely loved the city of Henderson,” she said.

Recalling conversations with her father, Enesa said he didn’t want people to forget about him. “I don’t want to die and people not remember me,” she recalled him saying to her.

At his funeral, she said she heard people call him a “trailblazer” and someone ahead of his time.

“To hear those words yesterday, it meant a lot,” she said. The City of Henderson also lowered flags in his honor, another gesture she said her father surely would have appreciated.

In business and in public, she said, he showed a dignified, professional side. Enesa’s mom, Costella, died when Enesa was 13, and she said her dad had to be both parents to their only child.

“He learned to do my hair,” she said, among other “little things that a mother is supposed to do.” It helped them form a closer relationship, she said.

“Behind the scenes, he was a kind, soft heart – he was a good man,” she said.

Terry has two brothers, Raymond and Michael. Raymond said his brother joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1967 and served four years – including a year-long tour in Vietnam. He participated and organized the Bugle Corps when he was stationed at Guam. He was awarded the Distinguished Navy Achievement Medal, among others.

After an honorable discharge he returned to Henderson and worked for a few years with the Henderson Police Department before he decided to attend mortuary college.

He worked for a couple of funeral homes after completing his education and then started E.C. Terry’s Funeral Service in 1982.

Enesa was in middle school when her dad served on the City Council.

He enjoyed explaining his role with the city to her and took her whenever he could to show her how city government works.

“He was ahead of his time,” she said. “He loved to serve on the City Council.”

Terry was the first African American to run for mayor of Henderson, but Enesa said at the time, she didn’t realize that. “He never pointed that out,” she said. Although Terry didn’t win, Enesa said it was a good race and she was proud of her dad.

“It was just amazing,” she said, “my dad was trying to run for mayor of this city.”

Henderson Mayor Melissa Elliott became the first African American and the first female to be elected to the position in 2023. Elliott spoke at the funeral and in comments to WIZS News Thursday echoed the sentiments about Terry’s kindness. “…he helped many families in the transition of their loved ones and was a true asset to our community,” Elliott said.

Former Henderson Mayor and City Council member Donald C. “Clem” Seifert, Jr. remembered Terry as someone who was very easy to talk to and reasonable during one-on-one discussions. “I often found that we agreed on many more things than we disagreed on,” Seifert told WIZS News Wednesday.

It was a three-person race for the mayor of Henderson in 2003, with Terry, Jeanne Hight and Seifert vying for the seat.

“I served with Ernest on the city council for many years,” Seifert said. “We always got along, and we always were able to come to some agreement on what we thought was the best way to move forward on issues that we may have some disagreement on.

“I enjoyed working with him and I’m sorry to hear of his passing. We did run against each other for mayor my first term…but Ernest never said anything derogatory toward me,” Seifert said.

“He was a nice, decent man who didn’t always speak up, but when he did speak, you wanted to listen to what he had to say. Ernest served the city well and his community well, in my opinion, and will be missed.”

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Cooperative Extension with Jamon Glover: Supporting Father Involvement Program

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On the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report from Jamon Glover:

We learn about the Supporting Father Involvement Program at Cooperative Extension

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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TownTalk: Mobility Hub Info Sessions In Henderson May 13, 14

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The concept for situating a mobility hub in downtown Henderson is taking shape, and the public has a chance to share opinions and ideas about what the actual facility should – and could – look like.

Grady McCollum is one of many at the N.C. Dept. of Transportation who is helping to move the plan from the vision board stage to the brick-and-mortar stage. McCollum, senior project coordinator of NCDOT’s Integrated Mobility Division, said having a mobility hub in Henderson can be transformational for transportation options and beyond.

The information sessions will be held Tuesday, May 13 and Wednesday, May 14 in Henderson. The May 13 session will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Farm Bureau Room at Perry Memorial Library; the May 14 session will take place from 12 noon to 2 p.m. at the site of the proposed mobility hub – the former First National Bank Building on South Garnett Street.

Although plans for the S-Line rail corridor may be on pause as a result of efforts at the federal level to reduce wasteful spending and make government more efficient, McCollum said on Wednesday’s TownTalk that he and his team at the state level will keep working toward completion of mobility hubs along the S-Line Corridor until they’re told there’s definitely a major change happening.

“We’re planning on the money coming, and we’re anticipating the money coming,” he said.

Until they hear otherwise, it’s “full steam ahead – pardon the pun,” McCollum said.

Having a mobility hub in place will make sure Henderson is “ready” for rail service, he said. The former bank building is centrally located, right in the heart of downtown Henderson, and the concept is to have it be a central location for all types of transportation used by residents, as well as those coming to visit or using Henderson as a stop to a future destination.

It’s a place to meet and gather, too, he said – “a catalytic spark to future development.”

A mobility hub would offer amenities like restrooms and bike racks but also give people a place to connect that is new, exciting, convenient and inviting.

What better place than a former bank building to purchase a train ticket, reserve a KARTS micro-transit ride or just stop in to meet up with like-minded friends?

“Being in the center of downtown is what makes it a good site,” McCollum said. “It brings in excitement to downtown,” and the plan to revitalize the area across the railroad tracks along William Street helps to broaden the scope of the total project.

The bank building, although in need of some major renovation, is unique among the half dozen or more spots along the S-Line corridor that the NCDOT is working with.

McCollum called it an anchor of the city, and he is excited “to build that up and make it as impressive and cool” as it can be.

“It gets your mind racing with all it could be,” he continued, adding that having an actual bank vault as a backdrop to a ticket counter? “It’s a unique and interesting space I think that brings a lot of character with it.”

Other communities along S Line don’t have the luxury of lots of community gathering places, and McCollum said this mobility hub could serve as a way to bring the community together for events in addition to helping to move people around in the easiest, most convenient way possible.

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15th Annual Kiwanis Golf Tournament May 22 At Kerr Lake Country Club

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The Kiwanis Club of Henderson, in partnership with local community sponsors, is hosting its 15th Annual Kiwanis Golf Tournament on Thursday, May 22, at Kerr Lake Country Club.

Register now to take part in this fundraiser to serve and support the children of Vance County.

The tournament will follow a Captain’s Choice (Superball) format, with four-person teams and a shotgun start at 12 noon. Check-in and lunch will be available between 11 a.m. and 11:45 a.m.

Registration is open to both full teams and individual players, according to information from Jesus Peralta, with entry fees set at $240 per team or $60 per individual. Fees include green fees, cart rental and lunch.

“Every dollar raised from this tournament goes right back into programs that benefit kids in our community,” said Danny Wilkerson, tournament coordinator and Kiwanis president. “It’s a fun and meaningful way for golfers of all levels to come together and make a difference.”

First-place team takes home a $400 prize and second-place team gets $300. There also are door prizes, a 50/50 raffle and hole-in-one prizes – including a new automobile.

Registrations are due by Monday, May 19. Space is limited and early registration is encouraged.

For entry forms or more information, contact Danny Wilkerson at (252) 430-4304 or Jesus Peralta at (202) 669-0350.

Duke Energy

Duke Energy Accepting Applications For $25K Grant

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— information courtesy of Duke Energy

Duke Energy Foundation is accepting grant applications from eligible organizations for a $25,000 grant. Successful applications will describe the local environmental impact program and how the organization will use the funds.

Applications are being accepted until Monday, June 30, at 5 p.m.

Examples of potential proposals include:

  • Projects strengthening thriving natural environments, including access to green space, in historically underserved communities.
  • Resiliency projects that prepare communities for and mitigate against the effects of climate change.
  • Environmental projects supporting land conservation; clean water; and biodiversity of plant and animal species.

Qualifications

To qualify for grant funding consideration, your organization must meet the following criteria:

  • Have current, tax-exempt status as a public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code.
  • Serve communities that are also served by Duke Energy.
  • Serve communities without discrimination against any individual on the basis of race, creed, gender, gender identity, age, sexual orientation or national origin.
  • Have a method by which to measure, track and report one or more program outcomes and specific results that demonstrate measurable community impact.

Visit https://foundation.duke-energy.com/ for details.

Perry Memorial Library

The Local Skinny! May leading into Summer at Perry Memorial Library

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May is a time when the Perry Memorial Library staff kind of catches its breath – it’s a lull of sorts sandwiched between a jam-packed April and the big push of programs and activities that happen over the summer.

Youth Services Librarian Melody Peters is busy, busy, busy behind the scenes to put the finishing touches on the summer reading program, which kicks off in just a few weeks.

Peters joined WIZS’s Scout Hughes to provide details about upcoming events on Tuesday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

On Tuesday, May 13, the Edmonds Tennis & Education Foundation visits the library for a program that combines reading and tennis. The Edmonds team includes adults and high school-aged interns, and they’ll put on a clinic in the Gallery outside the library after Peters reads a book the foundation brings along about a famous tennis player.

“They do such a wonderful job,” Peters said, to promote the importance of education and to teach younger children a thing or two about tennis. They’ll divide participants into groups and work on specific skills, she said.

“Kids don’t get exposed (to tennis),” she said, “and lessons can be expensive.”

Geared for the K-8 crowd, high schoolers are welcome as well.

If you head out to this weekend’s 5K for AIM High, you may see Peters out there as well. She’ll be walking, but she’ll also do a Story Walk at the Kids’ Fun Run that starts at 8:30 a.m.

The big summer reading program kick-off takes place on Tuesday, June 17 in the parking lot of the library, weather permitting. Bring the kids between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. for a fun afternoon.

Last year’s program had 200 or more participants at the kick-off event, and Peters said there will be games, arts and crafts activities and much more.

“It’s a rain or shine event,” she said. If the weather does not cooperate, Plan B is to have the event in the Gallery.

The first 200 children will get summer reading bags, supplies, reading logs and more, she said. Several area businesses will be set up as well to provide other goodies to the summer reading program participants.

If you’d like to help at these or other activities, please contact Peters at the library 252.438.3316 ext. 225 or send her an email at mpeters@perrylibrary.org.

Visit https://www.perrylibrary.org/home to learn about all the programs and services available at your local library.

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Vance County Logo

TownTalk: Commissioners Receive Proposed 2025-26 Budget At Monday’s Meeting

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UPDATE:  Friday, May 9 at 6:30 p.m.

Vance County Manager C. Renee Perry said late Friday that the budget work session of the Vance County Board of Commissioners originally scheduled for Monday, May 12 has been cancelled. The first budget work session will be Tuesday, May 20.

UPDATE: Tuesday, May 6 at 5 p.m.

Vance County Manager C. Renee Perry presented a proposed $64.3 million budget to county commissioners at their meeting Monday.

Perry hit the highlights of the 2025-26 budget in a summary to the Vance County Board of Commissioners, which includes additional funding for Vance County Schools, Vance-Granville Community College, the Granville-Vance Health Department and money for a new ambulance, among other items.

“This budget is more than balanced, it’s strategic,” Perry stated. “It reflects our goals of transparency, accountability and long-term progress. We are taking deliberate steps to correct financial practices of the past while making targeted investments in the people, infrastructure and services that shape Vance County’s future.”

Perry said the budget document should be posted on the county’s website by 12 noon on Tuesday.

Members of the public will have a chance to comment on the budget during the June 2 commissioners’ meeting. That also will be the first opportunity for commissioners to vote to approve the budget, which must be completed by June 30.

Commissioners agreed to hold budget work sessions beginning at 4 p.m. on Monday, May 12 and Tuesday, May 20.

No increases in property tax rates and fire tax rates are included in the budget, although Perry said solid waste fees would increase by $10 a month and there could be an increase in water rates for county residents.

The budget is a 5.74 percent increase over last year’s budget, largely fueled by overdue funding adjustments, implementation of a $1.1 million pay study and escalating operating costs.

Public safety, education and infrastructure are three main areas of focus, Perry noted.

“We confronted head-on the long-term impacts of prior underbudgeting, repeated audit findings” and inclusion on the Local Government Commission’s unit assistance list since June 2024, Perry told WIZS Tuesday because of late audits, embezzlement and audit findings.

“We are taking deliberate steps to correct financial practices of the past while making targeted investments in the people, infrastructure and services that shape Vance County’s future,” Perry told commissioners Monday evening.

Below are some of the numbers Perry highlighted to commissioners during her presentation:

  • just over $122K in additional funding for Vance-Granville Community College
  • $50,000 for Granville Vance Public Health to address rising costs and modernize their medical system
  • $703,000 for a new ambulance, a remount, six new radios and funding for overtime pay
  • $585,000 in additional operating funding for Vance County Schools
  • $850,000 in capital funding for school-related projects like roof repairs
  • $1.2 million increase in health insurance costs
  • $60,000 to modernize the county website
  • $75,000 for a new van for Cooperative Extension

Find the complete budget document here: https://www.vancecounty.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MASTER-File-Website.pdf

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UPDATE: Monday, May 5, 2025 at 2:15 p.m.

The Vance County Board of Commissioners meets this evening for its regular monthly meeting. County Manager C. Renee Perry is scheduled to present the proposed 2025-26 budget.

The new budget must be approved by July 1, when the new fiscal year begins.

Information included in the agenda packet notes that Perry will present the proposed budget but will discuss in greater detail budget particulars during future work sessions.

It is expected that commissioners will schedule those budget work sessions in advance of the June 2 regular monthly meeting, which is when the public hearing on the budget will take place.

The 2024-25 budget came in at about $57.8 million.

At the time it was presented, the current budget was praised for being only about a 1 percent increase over the previous budget, but it didn’t have any money for jail renovations or a new EMS building, two big-ticket items that the county is considering.

Rising health insurance costs and cost-of-living increases are other items that may affect the budget that Perry will roll out to commissioners. County employees got a 4 percent COLA increase last year.

While it’s probably the most anticipated item on the commissioners’ agenda, the budget is not the only item. Here are a few other items the commissioners are likely to act on:

  • A recent rezoning request for property on N.C. 39 South near Epsom. Perry is recommending that commissioners deny the request because it is not consistent with the county’s 1996 Land Use plan. Plans to put in a subdivision were met with some pushback by some county residents who spoke at the March commissioners’ meeting and commissioners requested then that the request be studied further.
  • Granting the audit contract for 2024-25 is also under consideration. Included in tonight’s agenda is a recommendation that the county engage Thompson, Price, Scott, Adams, & Co.to conduct the annual audit. The fee is $61,500. The county still will send out requests for proposals, however.
  • May 18-24 is National EMS Week, which Assistant County Manager Jeremy Jones is requesting commissioners to officially recognize. There’s a proclamation for commissioners to approve that highlights the dedication of EMS professionals and promotes awareness of the critical role that EMS plays in public health.
  • Increase the minimum salary for social worker positions in the county. The N.C. Dept. of Health and Human Services “has expressed serious concern regarding the welfare of children in our county, which is being significantly impacted by ongoing staff vacancies across all levels of the Social Work team. Competitive compensation is critical to recruiting and retaining qualified professionals to ensure that essential services and protections for vulnerable children are not compromised,” according to an explanation in the agenda packet. Perry proposes a one-grade or two-grade increase in salaries for county social workers. Right now, the salary is $52,797; Perry proposes an increase to $55,172. She also proposes that the county consider building in more flexibility to the position, including allowing telework options that other nearby counties offer.

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