TownTalk: Fuqua Receives Recognition from City Council

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Henderson’s Finance Director Joey Fuqua received some special recognition at Monday’s City Council meeting for excellence in financial reporting.

And though it was more a formality than anything else, Fuqua was officially sworn in as finance director – before Council Member Tami Walker read a proclamation expressing gratitude on behalf of the Council for the work done by Fuqua and his staff. He’s been the city’s finance director for about 10 years.

“Thank you for your financial leadership and your excellence in financial reporting for the last eight years,” Walker said in remarks before she read the proclamation.

The 2023 budget marks the 8th year that Fuqua and his department have received a certificate of excellence in financial reporting from the Government Financial Officers Association.

In addition to preparing the city’s annual budget, Fuqua and his team provide financial services and support city departments, manage revenue collections and disbursements and oversee purchasing functions, Walker noted.

Fuqua also has “emphasized commitment to addressing budget constraints,” Walker said, and helps the city by planning with long-term financial responsibility in mind.

Fuqua accepted a certificate, a bouquet of cut flowers and a standing ovation from the City Council members, Mayor Melissa Elliott and city staff at the meeting.

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TownTalk: Vance County Board of Commissioners; Economic Development Incentives

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The Vance County Board of Commissioners on Monday approved putting up more than $43,000 in matching funds as part of an economic incentive package for a company that recently announced its plans to locate in Triangle North Campus near I-85 and Poplar Creek Road in Vance County.

The commissioners’ meeting included a public hearing about the proposed incentives; no members of the public spoke either for or against the plan, which was presented by Vance County Economic Development Director Ferdinand Rouse.

“Project Pinpoint” involves a commitment from Syntec Precision Technology Corp. within five years of locating in the county to invest $10 million in business personal property and create 61 new full-time jobs, with an average salary of just over $46,000.

In support of this investment, Vance County is offering several incentives, according to information in the agenda packet:

  • Vance County tax incentive grant based on taxes paid for business
    personal property, not to exceed $166,390.86;
  • $200,000 Building Reuse Grant with a required $10,000 Vance County match; and
  • $100,000 One NC grant with a required match of $33,333.33 Vance County match.

The matching grants come from N.C. Department of Commerce. The arrival of this company is expected to stimulate significant investment in the local economy, generate new jobs with competitive wages, and foster economic growth and development opportunities for the county.

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TownTalk: Maria Parham Health’s Open House For RNs, Allied Health Fields

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Maria Parham Health will host an open house for prospective nurses and others who may be interested in a job in nursing or any of a range of careers in the allied health field.

The event will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Mar. 13 at the hospital, located at 566 Ruin Creek Rd., according to Nathan Johnson, MPH market director, People Services.

People Services is what used to be known as Human Resources, Johnson said.

Snowy weather postponed an earlier event to be rescheduled, and Johnson said the open house is for anyone looking for a job in the nursing field, but also for individuals to learn more about openings in the various labs, as well as physical therapy, speech therapy, respiratory therapy, CNA and many more.

Maria Parham isn’t a large hospital system, Johnson said, but it’s a place with “a hometown feel” where employees are known by their name and not as a number.

“Our focus here is on making our community healthier and being able to serve the needs of our patients,” he said.

Although this open house is primarily for openings at the Henderson location, Johnson said representatives can talk to participants about openings at the Franklin and Person locations as well.

It’s best to RSVP online at mariaparham.com, or call Ryan Randall at 252.436.1125, just to give organizers an idea of how many to prepare for, but walk-ins are also welcome.

Johnson said participants can expect to learn about the various positions that are available and share their experience and skills with MPH representatives. There will be an opportunity for additional breakaway sessions to go a little more in depth, which could lead to a job offer, he said.

Come right in to the hospital’s main entrance and follow directional signs to the Open House location.

 

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TownTalk: Chestnut St. Park Update, Basketball Court Renovations Underway

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Anyone who’s driven by Chestnut Street Park since last weekend surely has noticed that there’s something going on – a transformation is taking place at the park, and Charles Turrentine, Jr. is happy to see the renovation get underway.

Turrentine cares about his community – Henderson, Vance County and certainly the area where he grew up near the Chestnut Street Park, where he and others grew up shooting hoops.

With funds now in place for Phase 1 of the park’s renovation, Turrentine said he’s fielded more than a few inquiries from people who’ve been by the park and noticed the work going on.

It started Saturday, and Turrentine said the asphalt has been broken up and the fences removed. “We’re turning up dirt,” he said. He remembers Chestnut Street Park as a safe place for young people to be, playing basketball or watching those pickup games that invariably broke out most days.

But it hasn’t had any attention since it first became a park, and it was time to do something. Past time, truth be told.

“It’s time we look at it and give it some much-needed love and care.” He said he appreciates the support and regular meetings with Rec and Parks Director Kendrick Vann and Henderson City Manager Hassan Kingsberry to help with plans for the Chestnut Street Park renovation.

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TownTalk: NC Dept. of Public Safety Joins Bridge To Peace Vance County For Listening Session Mar. 17

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A local organization is teaming up with a couple of state agencies to host a community listening session as a way to gather insight, opinions and possible solutions around the growing concern of violence the area.

Bridge to Peace Vance County is organizing “Breaking the Cycle: A Community-Driven Approach to Ending Violence,” which will take place Monday, Mar. 17 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Southern Charm Event Center, 200 S. Garnett St. in Henderson.

Charles Turrentine, Jr. is one of the members of a steering committee responsible for planning the listening session, which will include representatives from the Governor’s Crime Commission and the N.C. Office of Violence Prevention.

Turrentine said a recent conversation with N.C. Dept. of Public Safety Deputy Director Robert Epstein is what got this started; “Vance County has come up on the radar at the state level,” he said on Tuesday’s TownTalk, when it comes to violence and crime.

Now it’s up to residents in the community to show up and share their thoughts on the matter. Turrentine said he would love to see kids, teenagers, young adults and older citizens at the listening session. He wants to hear from all segments of the community about what people see as challenges to overcome when talking about violence and about shifting the mindset and changing the narrative of Henderson and Vance County.

“We’re just going to listen,” Turrentine said. Vision boards will be used to capture the information generated at the listening session.

“We’re going to take all that information and we’re going to come back with legitimate ways to attack common issues that need to be addressed,” he said.

It’s easy to feel trapped in hopeless situations and Turrentine said this grassroots effort is one way to show the community that someone is trying to do something.

“We can’t arrest our way out of crime…if we can show other options,” he said, it could be a good step toward breaking the cycle of violence and crime.

He’s excited to have put in place the listening session, and although he said working with state officials has been challenging at times, “it’s a challenge I’m willing to take on.”

Identifying existing resources is one action item Turrentine hopes to share with the community. He also wants to rekindle the idea of neighbors helping neighbors. “If we can bring that back,” he said, it’s a step in the right direction that says “I see you and I do care.”

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TownTalk: Kerr-Tar Senior Games Coming Up

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Registration continues through Friday, Mar. 7 for the upcoming Senior Games and Silver Arts, giving area seniors a chance to participate in a variety of sports as well as photography, crafts, handiwork and literary compositions.

The events will take place between Mar. 21 and May 16 throughout the five counties that make up the Kerr-Tar region, said Michael Patterson, a family caregiver specialist for KTCOG.

Registrations can be completed online at https://torch.ncseniorgames.org/  or in person at any county senior center. A $20 entry fee should accompany the registration, Patterson said on Monday’s TownTalk.

“This is a great opportunity for older adults to participate in games and arts that they are passionate about,” Patterson said.

Over the past couple of years, about 230 people took part in the events, from pickleball and tennis to track events and basketball.

There will two or three events each week over the next couple of months, with the Silver Arts exhibition taking place on closing day, which will be held beginning at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 16 at the Person County Office Building.

The top three finishers in each event will have the opportunity to move on to the state Senior Games competition, but Patterson said the local games are about more than just winning an award.

“One of the biggest benefits is the socialization opportunity,” he said. The games are a chance for older adults to engage and talk and have a good time.

Individuals compete against others in their general age group – there’s a 50-54 age group, a 55-59 group, and the groupings keep going up in 5-year increments.

As one of the event coordinators, Patterson said it is “so inspiring and empowering to see our older adults passionate about their wellness, passionate about participating and having a good time.”

Contact Patterson at 252.436.2040 x 6072 to learn more, or Crystal Allen at 252.436.2040 x2036.

 

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Vance County Logo

TownTalk: State of the County

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It didn’t take long for Vance County Manager C. Renee Perry to address what she called “the elephant in the room” during the “State of the County” report hosted by the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, Feb. 26 at the Henderson Country Club.

Perry and Assistant County Manager Jeremy Jones reviewed goals, economic development successes, as well as several challenges the county faces as it moves forward.

When she became county manager in November 2023, Perry and county staff had in front of them a few challenges to sort through – including that “elephant in the room” that Perry mentioned: A former finance director who embezzled $1.4 million in county funds.

Perry said $1 million of that has been recouped, and she and her team are looking to the future.

Making financial lemonade from lemons, Perry said the county has overcome its past and now has much stronger internal controls in place to protect citizens’ tax dollars.

“We have a committed team of leaders who strive every day to make Vance County thrive,” families flourish” and stay strong, she said.

Always forward-facing, Perry said “our past does not define us. It’s the work we’re doing now” that counts.

Key to Vance County’s growth is economic development, and Perry said she supports responsible growth to create a stronger, more vibrant community.

The Board of Commissioners has chosen to keep their goals from last year and add to the list, Perry said.

The goals include:

  • purchase land for an EMS substation in Williamsboro and an EMS central station
  • pursue land acquisition, construction of a new detention center
  • take next steps for the recently completed fire study
  • continue construction of Phase 1B of the county water system and increase water connection signups by 20 percent
  • work with city to build better relationships for services offered
  • plan for using opioid settlement money and identify programs to reduce drug dependency
  • retain or assist in creation of 150 jobs and $10 million in new investment

The county has 90 vacancies, most notably in social services – 42 vacant positions – and the detention center – 20 openings.

It’s tough for a rural county to compete with more lucrative packages that nearby counties can offer. Wake and Durham counties are just a commute away, Perry said, and that makes Vance County an ideal spot to live – but not to work. Simply put, Vance County just can’t match bonuses and other incentives that larger, more urban counties can.

The county did enact, however, a 7 percent COLA (cost of living adjustment), effective July 1, 2024.

She encouraged those in attendance to stay positive and hopeful for a positive future.

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TownTalk: Vance County Child Well-Being Landscape Analysis February 2025

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The executive summary of a 47-page report released earlier this month paints a sobering picture for children in Vance County, and includes information about challenges, disparities and gaps in a range of services in the community to support children’s well-being.

A project team from Positive Childhood Alliance North Carolina gathered information from 16 community partners who agreed to participate in the study. Through these structured interviews, the team learned about current programs and services available to children and families in the county, as well as identify the most pressing issues and challenges children here face and how those challenges affect children’s well-being.

“Children in Vance County face significantly greater challenges than those confronting the average child in North Carolina,” the executive report states. “This disparity can be significantly reduced by increasing collaboration among the agencies and organizations that serve the most vulnerable families and children in Vance County.”

PCANC provided a project team for the study and worked in partnership with Cara Gill, executive director of Strength and Mending Child Advocacy Center of Henderson. The study was commissioned by Triangle North Healthcare Foundation with support from the John William Pope Foundation.

In the North Carolina Public School Forum’s 2023 report called The Roadmap of Need: A Whole Child Needs Assessment for North Carolina Youth, Vance County ranked 93rd worst out of 100 counties for “indicators of wellness across five domains: economic development, physical health, mental health and safety, education inputs and education outcomes.”

The recently released TNHF report uses this information, as well as information from a 2022 vulnerability assessment for the Kerr-Tar COG which states that “Vance County residents, specifically near the county seat of Henderson, should be considered the most vulnerable group in the region.”

The TNHF report includes a list of programs, agencies and resources in the county that work to meet the needs of children and families, from social service agencies to food, housing and day care, to name a few.

The study participants identified mental health needs among the top needs that affect the children in the county. A shortage of programs and staff means more than half the county’s children and adults aren’t able to access the behavioral health care they need.

Click Here to View Full Document

 

 

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TownTalk: Duke RAM Clinic is Coming This Weekend

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The Duke RAM free mobile clinic is coming to Henderson this weekend, and organizers say they are planning to provide free medical, dental and vision care for hundreds in the community.

Anvi Charvu has been involved with the Remote Area Medical clinic for several years. And now, Charvu said this year’s clinic will include more staff for pediatric patients as well as more interpreters to better assist Spanish speakers.

The clinic has grown since it first came to Henderson a few years ago. That first year, the clinic saw 120 patients. The next year, 230, and last year, there were 330 patients that received care at the clinic, which will again be set up at Vance Charter School, 2090 Ross Mill Rd.

Those increasing numbers “means we’re getting the word out to people who need it,” Charvu said.

Lara Kendall and Charvu , both Duke University students, were guests on Tuesday’s TownTalk. Kendall said patients can arrive as early as midnight before the 6 a.m. Saturday start time.

Patients can choose medical care both days, but are asked to select either dental OR vision care for one day’s visit. Patients are free to return on Day 2, however, in order to get both dental and vision care.

The clinic doors open at 6 a.m. each day and providers will see patients through the afternoon on Saturday, with hopes to wrap up by mid-afternoon on Sunday.

Since the beginning, the RAM clinic has been well-received and well supported by the Henderson community. First Baptist Church is a new partner this year and Triangle North Healthcare Foundation has been a key partner for the RAM clinic each year, Charvu said.

“We couldn’t do it without them,” she noted.

Kendall said patients will be asked to wait in their cars before the clinic opens each morning, so be prepared with snacks, water, entertainment and blankets to stay warm until the clinic doors open.

There will be a variety of community resource partners on hand to provide information to clients, and there will be fresh produce available for distribution as well.

The clinic works on a first-come, first-served basis, so Kendall and Charvu said it’s important to come early.

The army of volunteers and health care providers give selflessly of their time during these RAM clinics. Charvu called the doctors, dentists, nurses and others  “extremely kindhearted” as they donate their time to provide much-needed health care to underserved populations.

This year, health care professionals from Duke University Hospital are helping with the vision and medical clinics; dentists from UNC-Chapel Hill are pitching in on the dental side.

“We love to collaborate with schools,” Charvu said. The RAM clinic will have plenty of volunteers to assist patients, and Charvu encourages folks to come take advantage of the free medical care. You will not be asked to show ID or proof of insurance at the clinic, she said.

Visit https://www.ramusa.org/ to learn more about the organization.

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TownTalk: All Systems Go for the 3rd Annual Torch Awards

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Carolina United for Change will present Torch awards to three local individuals for demonstrating support throughout the community.

Tracy Madigan, Dr. Alice Sallins and D’Asia Stutson will be honored at an awards banquet Mar. 16 at Southern Charmn Events Center, 200 S. Garnett St. The evening includes dinner and live music by Best Friends.

“We’re trying to acknowledge people who have been in the community and have worked to make (their) communities a better place to be and live,” said Joseph Brodie, one of the founders of Carolina United for Change.

Tickets for the event are $30 each and are available for purchase now, Brodie said. No tickets will be sold at the door, he said.

A mission of the organization is to help support the poor and needy and to help protect the rights of all people.

This is the third year the group has given the awards, and Brodie said on Monday’s TownTalk that the 2024 recipients join previous recipients that include 2022 winners Margaret Ellis, Kendrick Vann and Angela Thornton, as well as 2023 winners Brenda Gant, Hilda Delbridge, Henderson Mayor Melissa Elliott and EJameel Williams, president of the Vance County NAACP.

This year’s honorees were selected from among nominations, Brodie said, for their contributions to the community – Madigan has been instrumental in several events hosted by Carolina United for Change, and is very knowledgeable about resources available for nonprofits. Sallins is a driver of the Vance County Arts Council and has taken on responsibilities within the community like organizing the annual Henderson Christmas Parade.

Stutson’s work with Gang Free, Inc. also has proven beneficial to many in the community, Brodie said.

Visit https://carolinaunitedforchange.com/ to learn more.

 

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