Warren County Senior Center Plans Jan. 23 Field Trip To Local Vineyard, Winery

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Join the Warren County Senior Center for a tour and lecture at Kim’s Vineyard and Winery on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. The lecture will focus on the science behind wine making, and the challenges to maintain a vineyard to produce the perfect grape. The group will depart the Senior Center at 11 a.m. and return by 2 p.m. There outing is free and lunch will be provided. Kim’s Vineyard and Winery offers a variety of homegrown canned vegetables and fruits for purchase at your own expense.

Kim’s Vineyard was started in Warren County by Cheryl and Walter Royster in 1995. It began as a hobby of planting a few rows of grapes by Royster to test out his “green thumb.” Over the years, more rows were planted which grew into Kim’s Vineyard. In 2004 Kim’s Vineyard expanded by adding a winery. The grape vineyard itself covers more than five acres of land and the winery sits on two acres. This is a “mom and pop” operated business that caters to everyone. Although the vineyard is seasonal, Kim’s Vineyard and Winery is open all year long. Kim’s Vineyard provides more than 18 different types of wine.

Call the Warren County Senior Center at 252.257.3111 to reserve your spot. Seating is limited.

Warren County Senior Center Schedules Thrift Shop Trip Jan. 16 – Reserve Your Spot Early!

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It’s Thrift Shop Thursday next week for the Warren County Senior Center, which is sponsoring a day trip for folks who want to shop for some bargains or just enjoy window shopping at InJoy Thrift Stores in Rocky Mount.

There’s no cost to participate in the Jan. 16 excursion – just pay for the treasures you may find while shopping and for lunch at Gardner’s Restaurant.

The group will depart the Warren County Senior Center at 9:30 a.m. and will return by about 2 p.m. If you’d like to go, you’ll need to reserve your spot in advance. Seating is limited, so call the senior center at 252.257.3111 to get a spot saved for you.

The InJoy Thrift Stores are operated on Christian principles, by Christian people, from area churches providing great merchandise donated locally and sold at great prices. Profits support and fund Christian based ministries in the community and throughout the world.

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.

IRS Reminder About Deadlines For RMDs From Certain Retirement Accounts

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If you’re 73 years or older, the Internal Revenue Service reminds you of important deadlines regarding required minimum distributions for those with certain retirement accounts.

An RMD is an amount that an account owner must withdraw annually. The withdrawals are considered taxable income and may incur penalties if they aren’t taken on time, according to information from IRS officials.

The IRS.gov Retirement Plan and IRA Required Minimum Distributions FAQs webpage provides detailed information regarding the new provisions in the law.

If you turned 73 in 2024:

  • Your first RMD is due by April 1, 2025, based on your account balance on Dec. 31, 2023, and
  • Your second RMD is due by Dec. 31, 2025, based on your account balance on Dec. 31, 2024.

 

A new law called the Secure 2.0 Act raised the age that account owners must begin taking RMDs, while eliminating RMDs for Designated Roth accounts in 401(k) and 403(b) retirement plans.

The minimum distribution rules generally apply to original account holders and their beneficiaries in these types of plans:

 

  • IRAs: IRA withdrawals from traditional IRAs and IRA-based plans occur every year once people reach age 73, even if they’re still employed.
  • Retirement plans:The RMD rules apply to employer-sponsored plans, with delays allowed until retirement unless the participants own more than 5% of the sponsoring business.
  • Roth IRAs:Roth IRA owners are not required to take withdrawals during their lifetime, however beneficiaries are subject to the RMD rules after the account owner’s death.

 

Designated Roth accounts in a 401(k) or 403(b) plan will not be subject to the RMD rules while the account owner is still alive for 2024. The RMD Comparison Chart outlines key RMD rules for IRAs and defined contribution plans.

 

Taxpayers can find easy-to-use tools such as forms, instructions and publications at IRS.gov.

Warren County Gets $950,000 In CDBG Funding To Help Rehab, Repair Homes

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— information courtesy of Warren County Community and Economic Development

Warren County has received a $950,000 award from the N.C. Dept. of Commerce Rural Economic Development Division for the Community Development Block Grant Neighborhood Revitalization program. Funding does not require a local match.

“We are excited to bring CDBG funds back into the county organization, and I am proud of the work Rose Ponton, our Community Development manager, has been doing to grow our focus in this area,” said Charla Duncan, director of Warren County Community and Economic Development.

“Applying for CDBG housing repair funds has been a goal of this department as a part of our transition from economic development to community and economic development, and this is a big step in realizing that goal,” said Duncan.

These funds benefit low- and moderate-income residents. Activities include housing rehabilitation and emergency repairs with the possibility of relocation and reconstruction in severe circumstances. These funds are managed as a 0 percent interest, forgivable loan with a term of up to eight years.

Warren County worked with a Wilmington firm that specializes in CDBG programming; recipients of CDBG funds were identified as a part of the county’s application.

Applicants must own and live in their home and be able to document that they are not delinquent on any property taxes to date, with a clear title to the property. This program is designed to address housing needs that include severe structural deficiencies or severe water and/or sewer needs.

VGCC Logo

VGCC Community Band Winter Concert Dec. 16

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–information courtesy of VGCC Public Information Officer Courtney Cissel

The holiday season has officially begun, and the VGCC Community Band is back in action this month to present its annual Holiday Concert.

This year’s event will occur on Monday, Dec. 16, at McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center in downtown Henderson. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. and will last about an hour. Admission is free to the public.

“Nothing is better than a big old-timey band concert,” said band director Brian Miller, “and the Vance-Granville Band is delighted to present to you our Winter Concert in the heart of historic downtown Henderson. We invite everyone to this free event featuring Christmas music, band classics, popular music, and classical music!”

Concertgoers can expect to hear festive favorites like “Feliz Navidad” and “Good King Wenceslas” alongside music from blockbuster soundtrack composer Michael Giacchino.

Some songs will be performed by the entire 39-piece band, while others will feature smaller groups.

Betsy Henderson, department chair of Fine Arts at the College, echoes Brian Miller’s invitation to the community. “This concert always kicks off my holiday season; it’s a lovely way to spend an evening. I urge you to come get into the holiday spirit with me!”

The VGCC Community Band contains both VGCC students and non-student adult community members with a wide range of abilities and experience. Participants represent the College’s four-county service area and beyond, some traveling from as far away as Virginia. The VGCC Community Band rehearses every Monday evening at the College’s Main Campus Civic Center in Henderson, and there is no membership fee for participating.

To learn more about the band, contact Director Miller at bmiller9302@vgcc.edu.

(This story was originally posted Dec. 6, 2024.)

Duke Energy

Duke Energy Customers Will See Slight Drop In Rate Prices

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The North Carolina Utilities Commission approved the Duke Energy Progress request to lower customer rates by 4.5 percent.

The lower rates begin this month.  In a message to WIZS, Duke Energy’s Local Government and Community Relations Manager Beth Townsend said, “It’s important to note that with the cold snap we’re having right now, most customers are using more energy compared to last month – we had a very warm fall. If you’re running your heat around the clock, your next bill will be higher of course – but it will be 4.5 percent lower than what it would have been under the old rates.”

In a press release from Townsend, it’s indicated that Duke Energy Progress residential customer rates in North Carolina will decrease 4.5 percent as part of an annual adjustment for the cost of fuel used to generate electricity at the utility’s power plants.

The release said, “A typical residential customer in North Carolina using 1,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month will see an overall decrease of $7.34, or about 4.5 percent lower than prior rates… That is 11 percent below the national average of $174.21 – a difference of approximately $235 per year.”

Commercial customers will benefit too, from an average decrease of about 6.3 percent, while industrial customers will see an average decrease of less than 0.1 percent.

Duke Energy Progress serves about 1.5 million customers in central and eastern North Carolina, including Raleigh, as well as the Asheville region.

Warren County Planning For ‘America 250’ Celebration

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In 2026, the nation commemorates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources has created America 250 NC to guide the commemoration in the state.

Whether you call it the semiquincentennial, bisesquicentennial, the sestercentennial or the Quarter Millennial, – all of which refer to the 250th anniversary of something – there are grants available to help fund projects, events and programs to celebrate this momentous occasion. The multi-year commemoration will span from now until 2033, with a special focus on 2026.

America 250 NC is providing several rounds of grants for county committees and community programs, and a Warren County committee has been formed to encourage local nonprofits and government entities to apply.

This round of grants is due Dec. 16. Maximum grant award is $30,000.

These grants will support activities and projects related to the commemorative themes: Visions of Freedom, Gathering of Voices, and Common Ground.

The county committee is seeking grant funding to provide strategic planning around the theme “A Patchwork of Progress,” designed to the many different groups and individuals who have contributed to Warren County’s history.

Visit www.america250.nc.gov/grants to learn more. Warren County government may be able to provide technical assistance to applicants. Please contact Grants and Contracts Administrator Connie Calloway to request help.

NC Coop Extension

CANCELLED: Dec. 3 Equine Nutrition Seminar In Warren County

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The seminar on equine nutrition scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 3 in Littleton has been cancelled.

Dr. Paul Siciliano, equine extension specialist with N.C. State University, had been scheduled to present “Preparing Your Horses for Winter,” to walk horse owners through a list of feeding and management strategies to consider as cold weather approaches.

To learn more, contact Warren County livestock agent Matthew Place at 252.257.3640.

Qualified Warren Residents Can Apply For Help With Winter Heating Costs

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The Low-Income Energy Assistance Program provides a one-time annual vendor payment to help eligible families pay for their heating expense.

The good news is, if you received a LIEAP payment last year, there’s no need to re-apply; an automatic payment will be generated to that same account this fiscal year, according to information from Warren County Department of Social Services.

The state mails notices in November to each family from the 2023-2024 pre-populated application information, complete with instructions on how to report any household changes. Recipients can contact or return the notice with changes to their local DSS office within 10 business days. If the recipient does not contact or report any changes to DSS, the information from the 2023-2024 LIEAP application will be used to approve the household for 2024-2025 benefits. The recipient will be informed that an automated LIEAP payment was made.

Households not included in the target population will be able to apply following regular LIEAP application policy. Regular application policy is as follows:

·      Application period begins Dec. 1 for households with a disabled person who receives services through the Division of Aging and Adult Services. Households with individuals age 60 or older are potentially eligible during the month of December or until funds are exhausted.

·      Applications from the general public will be taken from Jan. 1 through March 31 or until funds are exhausted.

This program is being administered by:

Warren County Department of Social Services

307 N. Main Street

Warrenton, NC 27589

252.257.5000

Please bring the following information to determine eligibility:

1.         Photo Identification

2.         Mail or document showing current address (rental agreement, utility bill, etc.)

3.         Information about your household’s income. If anyone works, bring wage stubs for the month prior to the month you visit the agency. Bring letter from Social                Security Administration to confirm benefits or a statement that shows direct deposit.

4.         Recent statement for savings or checking accounts.

5.         Name, date of birth & social security card or numbers for each household member.

6.          A bill from your primary source of heat (used the MOST, to heat your home). Households that heat with wood/kerosene, will not have a bill to submit.

 

Heating source bill-If the bill is not in applicant’s name, applicant must provide a written statement from the person whose name the bill is in (must be 18 & older), stating that applicant is responsible for payment of the heating expense.

Applicants who are not physically able to come to the agency to apply may provide a trusted individual (representative) with a written statement authorizing them to apply for LIEAP on their behalf; must include a contact number. Please bring all information listed above in 1-6.