The Local Skinny! Programs, Volunteer Opportunities For MLK Day Of Service

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With the upcoming annual observance of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, numerous organizations across the community have scheduled events to participate in the Day of Service that coincides with the holiday.

  • The local chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. is having a Jump-a-thon on Saturday, Jan. 17 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Kearah’s Place, 946 W. Andrews Ave. (Suite O) in Henderson. This event is open to all ages and jumping abilities, and will include single-rope, double dutch, tricks and more.
  • Then on Sunday, Jan. 18, the Zetas will have a Finer Beginnings Community Baby Shower. This event will be held from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Tiffany’s of Henderson, located at 110 S. Garnett St. There will be giveaways – including a raffle for a Spectra electric breast pump – along with distribution of information on vaccinations and maternal health. The winner must be present to claim the raffle prize. For more information, email zpb1996@gmail.com or send a text message to 252.213.5552.
  • Also on Sunday, Jan. 18, the Vance & Adjacent Counties Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance will host an MLK Jr. Celebration beginning at 3 p.m. at Dickies Grove Missionary Baptist Church, located at 2996 Faulkner Town Rd., Henderson.The featured preacher is the Rev. Dr. Johnny B. Hill, pastor of Gethsemane Missoinary Baptist Church in Bunn, with appearances by VACIMA President the Rev. Charles E. Walton and Dickies Grove Pastor the Rev. Dr. Jeannette Floyd. There will be performances by the Gethsemane Missionary Baptist Church Choir.
  • The Henderson Family YMCA is hosting a Rise Against Hunger event on Monday, Jan. 19 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Vance-Granville Community College Main Campus in Henderson. The goal is to pack 70,000 meals that will be sent across the world to fight global hunger. Volunteers are needed for the 10 a.m. to 12 noon shift and the 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. shift. Monetary donations are welcomed, as are non-perishable food donations for ACTS and ACIM. Visit https://www.hendersonymca.org/to register.
  • The Granville County Human Relations Commission will host its annual fellowship breakfast to honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. The event will be held at Oxford Baptist Church, located at 147 Main St. in Oxford.  The event will feature readings from the winners of the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. essay contest. The theme of this year’s contest is “Keeping the Dream Alive: Dr. Martin Luther King’s Vision in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.” Students from J.F. Webb High School, South Granville High School and Northern Granville Middle School participated in the essay contest this year. Terry Green, Chief of the North Carolina State Capitol Police, will serve as the keynote speaker. Due to space limitations, tickets are required for entry. Donations to Area Congregations in Ministry food bank will be accepted at the event. For more information about the program or to request tickets, please contact the Granville County Administration office at 919.693.5240 or email jessica.todd@granvillecounty.org.

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Home and Garden Show

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

  • The Vance-Warren Beekeepers Association will meet on Monday, January 12th, 2026 from 7pm-9pm at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.
  • Start your 2026 Garden Journal.
  • Write down garden goals for 2026.
  • Inventory your seed supply. Discard seeds 3 years or older.
  • Continue to plant trees and shrubs.
  • Consider constructing a small greenhouse or coldframe.
  • Order seed after you have completed your seed inventory.
  • Get your piedmont planting guide now.
  • Check pruning equipment. Sharpen, repair, or even replace them.
  • Soil sample now to improve your 2026 garden.
  • Remember to use the proper personal protective equipment when doing winter chores.
  • Check houseplants dust weekly with a soft cloth.
  • Check storage areas for mice.

The Vance County Cooperative Extension Building is located at 305 Young St, Henderson, NC 27536

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! Great Events To Kick Off 2026 At Perry Memorial Library

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The holiday decorations are down, the kids are back in school and winter programming at Perry Memorial Library is returning to full swing. Youth Services Librarian Melody Peters and staff welcome patrons of all ages to the library for some social interaction and literacy fun.

Mother Goose Storytime fans can return Thursday morning, Jan. 8 at 11 a.m. Later that afternoon, kids can enjoy Lego Fun from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. One scheduling note is the Thursday afternoon story time, Peters said. She is pushing the start time back to 4:30 p.m., which she hopes will be a friendlier time for families with children.

Speaking of fun, Fun Fridays launch this Friday, Jan. 9.

Baby Rave runs from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. for the youngest kiddos, 0-2. There’ll be dancing and movement to music, complete with party lights and bubbles, Peters said.

The morning morphs into Parachute Play at 11:30 a.m. for a half hour of games and songs for children ages 3-5.

Fridays are busy at the library, with the Home School Social Hour cranking back up at 1 p.m.

This program helps connect homeschooling families – adults and children alike – allowing them to meet new people while they get together to share resources and other areas of interest.

Peters said she hears from homeschooling families routinely who want to find ways to connect with others. “If you’re new to the area, you may not know others nearby,” she said.

  • Pajama Story Time is another favorite for families who may not have time during the day because of work or school commitments.

It’s a short program, just 30 minutes or so, but Peters said it’s all about parents and children engaging in the story together.

The program begins at 6:30 p.m. and continues on Jan. 13, Feb. 3, Mar. 3 and April 7.

  • Teddy Bear Storytime kicks off the new program year on Sunday, Jan. 16 at 3:30 p.m.
  • Drop off your favorite stuffed animal or “lovey” at the library between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 23 to take part in the “Teddy Bear Sleepover,” Peters said. Kids often ask what happens at the library at night, she said. “The animals take over the library, and we get to see the fun that they have,” she added. Lovey pickup is on Sunday, Jan. 25 between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Check out all the library’s programs and activities at https://www.perrylibrary.org.

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Local Guardian ad Litem Training Begins Jan. 13, 2026

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The local Guardian ad Litem program is a statewide program designed to place trained volunteers to serve as advocates for neglected or abused children going through the court system.

The next six-week training session begins on Jan. 13, 2026. Area Supervisor Samantha Branch, who serves the five-county region that includes Vance, Granville, Warren, Franklin and Person counties, is seeking additional volunteers who want to become advocates for this very important program.

Formed in 1983, the Guardian ad Litem program serves in all 100 counties in North Carolina and is a division of the N.C. Administrative Office of the Courts.

According to information on its website, when a petition alleging abuse or neglect of a juvenile is filed in district court, the judge appoints a volunteer GAL advocate and an attorney advocate to provide team representation to the child.

Program staff in each county work with the GAL child to provide support – legal and advocacy – to children as they go through the court process.

Advocates protect and promote the best interests of juveniles in abuse and neglect court proceedings, as well as report the child’s wishes to the court. They also could contribute to independent investigations to determine the facts, the needs of the child and identify resources appropriate to each case.

Learn more about the program at https://www.nccourts.gov/programs/guardian-ad-litem.

If you think you’d like to become a trained Guardian ad Litem advocate, call 252.430.5121 or visit volunteerforgal.org.

(Information above originally posted Dec. 17, 2025)

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Home and Garden Show

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

  • The Vance-Warren Beekeepers Association will meet on Monday, January 12th, 2026 from 7pm-9pm at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.
  • Review your 2025 garden journal Check what went well and not so well.
  • What are your Garden resolutions for 2026?
  • Check your compost pile and turn it if you haven’t done so recently.
  • Continue to plant trees and shrubs.
  • Consider constructing a small greenhouse or coldframe.
  • Visit a public garden/arboretum over the holidays to see which plants look good during the winter.
  • Get your piedmont planting guide now.
  • Inventory your seed before purchasing more seed.
  • Soil sample now to improve your 2026 garden.
  • Remember to use the proper personal protective equipment when doing winter chores.
  • Check houseplants dust weekly with a soft cloth.
  • Check storage areas for mice.

The Vance County Cooperative Extension Building is located at 305 Young St, Henderson, NC 27536

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

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The Local Skinny! Second Annual ‘Catfish Drop’ To Usher In New Year At Satterwhite Point

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Looking for something fun to do with the family to say farewell to 2025, usher in the New Year and still be able to be home in your jammies – or decked out in your finest party duds – well before midnight?

Check out the Catfish Drop at Satterwhite Point on Kerr Lake from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. on New Year’s Eve.

It’s the second annual Catfish Drop – Vance County Tourism’s Pam Hester hailed last year’s event as an unparalleled success.

“It’s going to be an afternoon, early evening of fun family event for everybody,” Hester said in an interview with WIZS earlier this year.

In addition to food trucks, music by DJ Jay, face painting and bouncy houses, Hester said they’ve added The Mike Davis Experience, miniature golf to the list of activities for families to enjoy before the catfish makes its descent to mark the beginning of 2026, albeit a few hours early.

A fireworks display will cap off the day’s activities.

Hester said Mike Davis will perform from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. “He is a one-man show, but he sounds like you’re listening to a full band,” Hester said in an interview earlier this year. “He can sing anything from Merle Haggard to KISS.”

 

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Home and Garden Show

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

  • The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is closed for the season. Thanks to all customers and vendors for a successful year in 2025!
  • Soil Samples are $4 per sample, Don’t guess soil test!
  • Check your compost pile and turn it if you haven’t done so recently.
  • Check local nurseries for sale items.
  • You can continue to plant trees in your landscape.
  • Visit a public garden/arboretum over the holidays to see which plants look good during the winter.
  • Review your 2025 Garden journal for what was successful and what was not very successful.
  • Remember to check your natural Christmas tree for water every day.
  • A small backyard greenhouse can help you jump start your 2026 garden.
  • Remember to use the proper personal protective equipment when doing winter chores.
  • Check houseplants dust weekly with a soft cloth.
  • Check storage areas for mice.

The Vance County Cooperative Extension Building is located at 305 Young St, Henderson, NC 27536

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

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Freedom Bridge Resource Center Ribbon Cutting

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Dozens of supporters gathered at the Freedom Bridge Resource Center Tuesday to officially mark its opening with a ceremonial ribbon cutting sponsored by the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce.

But work at the center has been going on for close to two months now, and Program Director Danetta McKnight said the resource center has been able to provide ongoing assistance to 20 individuals during that time. And they’re just getting started.

Freedom Bridge is part of Community Partners of Hope and is located beside Vance Recovery at 936 West Andrews Avenue. It’s a resource center – a hub – where partners come together to serve the community, she said.

Representatives from The Genesis Project, a Charlotte-based program, come weekly to provide services such as peer support and other types of counseling for clients in recovery from substance addiction.

“We’re grateful that someone saw something in Freedom Bridge,” she said.

The support for individuals in a recovery program comes in different forms, and Freedom Bridge is where all types of services can come together to help clients and families in their journeys.

One community volunteer employs clients as day laborers, which gives them a little money in their pocket to buy food or toiletry items, she said.

Whether through mentoring, helping reconnect those estranged from families because of substance abuse or just providing a small meal and a warm place to “be,” Freedom Bridge is living up to its mission statement: Helping people cross over from systems that trap them to lives they own.

McKnight expressed gratitude to the community for being accepting of the work that Freedom Bridge is setting out to do and to Community Partners of Hope “for connecting with me and listening to a young lady that had a dream…believed in my dream and offered me a position where I could do what it is I felt like I was born to do.”

Visit https://www.cp-hope.org/freedombridge to learn how you can help through volunteering or donating.

(The information above was originally posted December 17, 2025 but has been updated December 23 to include the broadcast audio available below.)

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Candidate Filings For March 2026 Primary

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Vance County voters will have a ballot full of contested races when they go to the polls for the March 2026 primary elections, which includes a three-way race for Vance County Sheriff. The county commissioners’ seats have multiple filers and three of the four seats on the board of education have at least two candidates.

The filing period ended today – Friday, Dec. 19 – at 12 noon, and Deputy Director of the Vance County Board of Elections Shelly Wood said six individuals came in on the last day to file – four of them for the District 7 seat on the Vance County Board of Education.

Until the final day of the filing period, there were no candidates for the District 7 seat.

Sterlin M. Walker, Jr. added his name to the list of candidates for Sheriff. He joins incumbent Sheriff Curtis Brame and challenger Sean Alston, Sr., who had filed earlier. All three candidates for Sheriff are Democrats.

Ruth M. Hartness filed to retain her District 7 seat on the board of education, along with challengers Blakely Lee Bakes, Angela Cooper Lyons and Hailey Breeze Macklin. Mackin is a Republican; the other three candidates are Democrats.

In other contests that involve Vance County, Henderson Mayor Melissa Elliott added her name to the list Thursday to run for the District 32 seat in the N.C. House of Representatives. Incumbent Bryan Cohn did not seek re-election, but Granville County Democrat Curtis McCrae, Jr. has filed for the seat, according to information from the N.C. State Board of Elections.

Here’s a complete list of filers for contests specific to Vance County:

Vance County Board of Commissioners – District 3 Charisse Fain – Democrat

Vance County Board of Commissioners – District 3 Angie Ryan – Republican

Vance County Board of Commissioners – District 4 June Lewis III – Democrat

Vance County Board of Commissioners – District 4 Kelley Wade Perdue – Republican
Vance County Board of Commissioners – District 4 Dan Brummitt – Republican

Vance County Board of Commissioners-District 7 Joann Evans – Democrat

Vance County Board of Commissioners-District 7 Joseph Falkner – Republican

Vance County Board of Education – District 1 Cassandra Evans – Democrat
Vance County Board of Education – District 1 Gloria White – Democrat

Vance County Board of Education – District 2 Randy Oxendine – Democrat
Vance County Board of Education – District 2 William Earl Purvis – Democrat

Vance County Board of Education – District 6 Omega T. Perry – Democrat

Vance County Clerk of Superior Court Amanda Burnette – Democrat
Vance County Clerk of Superior Court Eric Burwell – Democrat

Vance County Register of Deeds Cassandra D. Neal – Democrat

Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame – Democrat
Vance County Sheriff Sean Alston, Sr – Democrat
Vance County Sheriff Sterlin M. Walker, Jr. – Democrat

********UPDATED Friday, Dec. 19, 2025 at 6:50 p.m.

(Please note — This post has been updated regularly since filing started. All those updates have been deliberately removed and replaced with the final filings written above.)

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Home and Garden Show

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

  • The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is now closed for the season. Thanks to all customers and vendors for a successful year in 2025!
  • Soil Samples are $4 per sample, Don’t guess soil test!
  • Use foliage from your Landscape to make festive decorations.
  • Check your compost pile and turn it if you haven’t done so recently.
  • Check local nurseries and garden centers for gift ideas and hints to Santa.
  • You can continue to plant trees in your landscape.
  • Visit a public garden/arboretum over the holidays to see which plants look good during the winter.
  • Clean old nests out of bird houses.
  • Remember to check your natural Christmas tree for water every day.
  • Do not use salt on your drive, use sand or cat litter for added traction.
  • Remember to use the proper personal protective equipment when doing fall chores.
  • Check houseplants dust weekly with a soft cloth.
  • Check storage areas for mice.

The Vance County Cooperative Extension Building is located at 305 Young St, Henderson, NC 27536

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

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