No Signs of Foul Play; Man Died in Car in Walmart Parking Lot

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— information courtesy of the Henderson Police Department and Chief of Police Marcus Barrow

On January 3, 2025, at approximately 9 p.m., officers from the Henderson Police Department responded to a report of an unresponsive individual in the parking lot of Walmart, located at 200 N. Cooper Dr.

The person, identified by police as Brian Allen Campbell, age 39, was found unresponsive in his vehicle.

Campbell was pronounced deceased by medical personnel at the scene.

Emergency personnel have not identified any signs of foul play at this time. Campbell’s body was transported to a local facility for evaluation by a medical examiner.

The Henderson Police Department will maintain an open investigation pending the findings of the medical examiner or any additional information that may become available.

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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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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.

S-Line Rail Corridor

The Local Skinny! City Council To Hear Train Station Recommendations

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The city’s Land Planning Committee is set to recommend to the full City Council that the former First National Bank building on Garnett Street be used as the S-Line train station.

Council Member Garry Daeke is a member of the land planning committee, and he attended a meeting of the committee held Thursday, Dec. 19. Daeke told WIZS that a couple of options were discussed, and ultimately, the committee decided to get behind the former bank building over the Garnett Street Station.

But that decision comes with a hefty price tag – Daeke said development of the bank building location and mobility hub concept would cost five to seven times the cost of the Garnett Street Station option. The price is between $15 million and $25 million for developing the bank building idea and $3 million to $4 million for the Garnett Street Station option.

“The bank building is such a central part of downtown,” Daeke said. “We’d like to put it to good use.”

Estimated costs of getting the bank building itself ready for its new use are about $10 million, Daeke said, compared with $7.2 million for the Garnett Street Station. The city owns the bank building, but not the Garnett Street Station, so there would be extra costs involved to purchase that property.

Daeke said N.C. Dept. of Transportation officials would like to have the city’s answer by January so plans can continue for the S-Line development. There’s still a lot of legwork to do to secure various federal grants and other funding options, he said, but NCDOT officials have said that if all goes well, the project could take between five and eight years to complete. “If funding takes a while, it could be 10 to 15 years,” Daeke said.

“I’m really looking forward to this occurring,” he said, adding that figuring out the grants and other financing is a necessary part of the process to create a mobility hub for the whole community to use and enjoy.

The bank building has lain vacant for a number of years, but it hasn’t been a bank for decades.

“There’s just so much structural work to do,” he said, including the possibility of creating a second-floor walkway from the William Street side of the building.

According to Daeke, assistant city manager Paylor Spruill has noted that the building is “overbuilt” to support the weight involved, but there remain questions about upgrades to the substructure.

Then there’s the question of the access road located between the rear of the buildings parallel to William Street, which is presently used by existing businesses for loading and unloading.

There would still be a need to have some type of access road back there, he said.

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The Local Skinny! Groundbreaking at Epsom Park

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Franklin County Parks and Recreation Director K.P. Kilpatrick has been in his role just since April of this year, but he’s already been able to check one big item off the to-do list: witness the groundbreaking of Epsom Park.

The park will be located on the site of the former Epsom School, and plans have been in place for a while – almost 20 years, in fact – to construct a park for residents to enjoy, whether they live in Franklin County or Vance County.

County officials and community leaders joined Kilpatrick at the recent groundbreaking  for Phase 1 of the project, which is scheduled to be completed in fall of 2025.

It includes a walking loop, sand volleyball court, playground, multipurpose field and a picnic shelter, as well as a spot for cornhole.

“We’re happy to get it started,” Kilpatrick told WIZS’s Scout Hughes on Thursday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

The 7.62 acre property practically straddles the Franklin/Vance County line, and will be the fourth park that Franklin County is responsible for.

It’ll be a place where the community can come for recreation as well as athletic events and other organized programs, Kilpatrick said. There could be a movie night at the park, for example, volleyball and cornhole tournaments in addition to the more traditional types of sports played on the multipurpose field.

Kilpatrick envisions Epsom Park as a place for “great leisure opportunities” and a “great place to create memories.”

 

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Home And Garden Show

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On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.

  • Vance County Regional Farmers Market is closed for the season.
  • We encourage you to buy a North Carolina Christmas Tree this year for the Holidays.
  • “Do You Want to be a Beekeeper?” Workshop, will take place on January 13th, at 6pm at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.
  • The Vance and Warren County Beekeepers Association will meet on January 13th, at 7pm at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.
  • The Beginning Beekeepers School will start January 18th, starting at 9AM. For more information contact the Vance County Cooperative Extension at (252) 438-8188.
  • Soil samples are in peak season now.
  • Now is a good time to take inventory of your seeds. That way you will know what vegetable seeds to order, try ordering a new variety of seeds for the 2025 growing season.

The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is located at 210 Southpark Dr., Henderson, NC 27536

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Perry Memorial Library

The Local Skinny! Dec. 21 Make-And-Take Program At Perry Library

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They’re making snow at Perry Memorial Library Saturday, Dec. 21!

Well, not snow, exactly. More like snowflakes.

Youth Services Director Melody Peters said there’s going to be plenty of fun in the process, too, during the make-and-take craft activities that people of all ages are sure to enjoy.

The library will have a variety of age-appropriate activities available during the 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. snowflake-themed program.

You can make huge paper bag snowflakes – just glue several layers together and then cut to create that unique snowflake pattern.

Teens will enjoy a bead and pipe cleaner craft to create their own version of a snowflake, too, Peters said on Tuesday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

Saturday also is the Winter Solstice, which marks the longest night of the year. After Saturday, the days will increasingly grow longer.

The library will take a little break for the Christmas holiday and will be closed Dec. 24-26, Peters said. The library will be open New Year’s Eve day, but will be closed New Year’s Day.

Peters said the library will open 2025 with a bang – literally – on Jan. 2 with Mother Goose Story Time at 11 a.m. for kiddos 0-5. The theme will be “make a little noise,” she said.

Then winter programming continues full-steam ahead, with First Fridays. This program for  area preschools kicks off Jan. 10 from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. It gives preschoolers a chance to experience the library and enjoy STEM activities, Peters said. The January program features chemical reactions and baking soda volcanoes.

There’s a new club starting up this year for anime enthusiasts, she said.

The group will meet on the last Thursday of the month – beginning on Jan. 30 – from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

“It’s a very popular section” of the library, Peters said. “We have a couple of staff members who are really into it themselves – they read it, they watch it, they wear it…they appreciate it.”

For the uninitiated, anime – pronounced A nih may – is a form of animation that originated in Japan. The club is for young people in middle school and high school. Space is limited, and registration is required, Peters said. Email her at

mpeters@perrylibrary.org to get signed up.

Visit www.perrylibrary.org to learn about all the programs the library offers.

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The Local Skinny! Friday Car Chase

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Friday, Dec. 13 proved unlucky for one teenaged motorist who led law enforcement officers on a 30-plus mile chase through Vance and Franklin counties, ending in a crash in Henderson near Chavasse Avenue and Raleigh Road.

The driver, 19-year-old Eli-Javron Williams of Roberts Avenue in Vance County, faces a slew of charges, including two felony charges for fleeing to elude and hit-and-run, according to Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow.

Barrow said officers from the Henderson Police Department observed a silver 2013 Honda Accord driving erratically on Harriett Street about 3:15 p.m.

In a statement to WIZS, Barrow said, “When the officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop, the driver accelerated and refused to pull over.
The vehicle fled the area, prompting the officers to initiate a pursuit. The chase covered nearly 35 miles, extending to the city limits of
Franklinton, NC, before returning to Henderson.”
During the pursuit, the fleeing vehicle collided with a 2005 Toyota Scion while trying to turn onto Chavasse Avenue from Raleigh Road. The
occupants of the Toyota Scion were assessed by EMS at the scene. After the collision, the occupants of the pursued vehicle exited their disabled car and attempted to escape on foot. Officers quickly apprehended the driver and a 17-year-old passenger after a brief foot chase. A third individual, who remains unidentified, was not
apprehended, and no information about that person is available at this time.
The unnamed passenger who was apprehended was charged with resisting, delaying, and obstructing an officer. He was released to his mother at the police
department.

In addition to the two felony charges, Williams faces charged of careless and reckless driving, injury to personal property and multiple traffic violations.  He was given a $40,000 secured bond.

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First Methodist Church

First United Methodist Church of Henderson – Tag Sale Shop

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What: The Tag Sale Shop sponsored by the United Women in Faith (UWF) of First United Methodist Church. The tag sale fills 7 rooms and 3 hallways in the church education building with vintage/antique furniture, cookware, flowerpots, rugs and accessories – brass, china, glassware, toys, framed prints, and linens. Furniture includes beds, sofas, easy chairs, side chairs, dining tables and chairs, tv tables, coffee and end tables and cupboards/china cabinets. Many Christmas items are available: themed dishware, pillows, ornaments, angels, linens and decorative items and gifts.

When: Tuesdays and Thursdays through December 19th. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: First United Methodist Church, 114 Church Street, Henderson, NC

Why: Shop for others or yourself while donating to the mission ministries of UWF. These ministries reach our local community through the work of ACTS, Boys & Girls Club, children’s programs at the “Y”, supplemental weekend food packs for 25 Pinkston St. Elementary students each week during the school year, 16 Sunday soup kitchens, a clothing closet, school partnership projects with Dabney and Pinkston St. Elementary Schools, and the men’s and women’s shelters and the church’s Good Neighbor Ministry which assists local families.

Beyond county borders funds are given to the Methodist Children’s Home and Methodist Retirement Home, AGAPE Christmas gifts for children and youth in Armenia, and worldwide hunger and disaster relief. This year the disaster relief includes hurricane devastation in western North Carolina.

Call: 432-2997 for more information.

Home And Garden Show

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On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.

  • Vance County Regional Farmers Market’s last open day for 2024 will be this Saturday, December 14th, from 8am-1pm.
  • We encourage you to buy a North Carolina Christmas Tree this year for the Holidays.
  • If you have a cut live Christmas tree, check that live reservoir. Make sure it has an ample water supply. You do not want that tree to dry out. Do not put your tree next to a heating source or a fireplace.
  • Take a visit to our local plant nursery. Check out our other Christmas plants for the Holidays.
  • Remember to use personal protective equipment when doing landscaping. Eye and ear protection. Even sunscreen. Use a good pair of gloves.
  • Leaf collection season is upon us. Compost your leaves. Don’t burn them.
  • Now is a good time to take inventory of your seeds. That way you will know what vegetable seeds to order, try ordering a new variety of seeds for the 2025 growing season.

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