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 open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8am-1pm
  • The Vance-Warren Beekeepers Association will meet on July 13th at 7pm at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.
  • Open ends of garden rows if you have flooded rows after thunder storms have safely passed.
  • If going on vacation, have someone harvest your vegetables while you are away.
  • Now would be a great time to take soil samples if you have had rain this week.
  • Prune water sprouts from trunks of fruit trees.
  • If you have more vegetables than you need, share them with someone else that can’t grow a garden.
  • Check your garden for harvestable vegetables each day.
  • Check for squash bugs on squash, cucumbers, watermelons, cantaloupes, and pumpkins.
  • Continue your fruit spray program according to product directions.
  • Harvest early in the day and get vegetables under refrigeration as soon as possible.
  • Get your vegetable publications from Cooperative Extension.
  • 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! Films, Fossils & Fun at Perry Memorial Library

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Books can transport readers to faraway lands, take them on fun adventures or lead them back through history. And now, with July’s heat cranked all the way up, Memorial Library Youth Services Director Melody Peters says the library is a very cool place – in every sense of the word – to enjoy the summer. Come and choose some books, then hang around for all the extra activities the library offers.

In addition to all the reading selections, children can enjoy movies – The Good Dinosaur is up this afternoon at 4:30 p.m., tying into the summer reading theme of Unearth A Story.

And the summertime STEAM activities continue next week with construction of catapults, Peters told WIZS’s Scout Hughes on Tuesday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

STEAM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math – and the activities are compliments of a partnership with Goodwill Industries of Eastern North Carolina.

The first program was a big hit – making pens using 3-D printers – and Peters said the kids loved it. So did she!

“I had never used anything like that,” she said. “It was really exciting to be able to create something like that.” You don’t just flip a switch or press a button, she said. There’s a bit of a learning curve and it takes time to understand how those printers work.

But it’s not all 21st century technology at the library. Next Tuesday, July 14, come check out the ancient sport of falconry. Chip Gentry with Hawk Manor Falconry will be in the gallery at 10:30 a.m. with his birds of prey to give patrons some insight into falconry, which has been around for thousands of years.

Then Coleman Davis of the N.C. Fossil Club is bringing his extensive fossil collection for the kids to see at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, July 14. “It is quite something to behold,” Peters said of the collection, which fits right in to the summer reading theme, too.

Then, on Thursday, July 16, visiting artist Michael Albert will lead a workshop from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. for youth ages 10-16.

Albert creates collages and his medium of choice is cereal boxes! Workshop participants will create their own collages.

Space is limited, so please register using the signup link at www.perrylibrary.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 County Regional Farmers Market is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8am-1pm.
  • Keep hydrated, drink water and do garden chores early or late in the day.
  • If going on vacation, have someone harvest your vegetables while you are away.
  • Keep your garden journal updated daily.
  • Identify insects before spraying a chemical. Cooperative Extension can help with insect or disease identification.
  • If you have more vegetables than you need, share them with someone else that can’t grow a garden.
  • Check your garden for harvestable vegetables each day.
  • Keep your rain gauge clean and empty after recording any rain in your garden journal.
  • Continue your fruit spray program according to product directions.
  • Harvest early in the day and get vegetables under refrigeration as soon as possible.
  • Get your vegetable publications from Cooperative Extension.
  • 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

Click Play!

Perry Memorial Library

The Local Skinny! July is Full of Fun at Perry Memorial Library

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Thanks to some pretty cool collaborations, summertime activities at Perry Memorial Library are really heating up.

Whether you’d like to learn more about virtual reality robots or falconry, or if you just want to chill out watching a fun movie, there’s something coming up just for you, and Youth Services Librarian Melody Peters has all the details.

For kids 8 years and older, there also are STEAM activities planned, courtesy of Goodwill Industries of Eastern North Carolina.

In fact, there’s a session later today – from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. – to learn more about 3-D printing. Future sessions, also from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., include catapult building on Tuesday, July 14 and mini-robotics on Tuesday, July 21.

Want to learn more about falconry? Come to the library gallery at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 14 and learn about the ancient art that involves training birds of prey from master falconer Chip Gentry. He works with Hawk Manor Falconry in Lillington. He’s bringing some amazing birds that you’ll get to see up close and personal.

Come to the library on Tuesday, July 7 to catch the movie Hoppers at 10:30 a.m. Super Mario Galaxy will be shown on Tuesday, July 21. Feel free to bring your own snacks to enjoy while you watch the movie, Peters said.

And, of course, the summer reading program is in full swing, so remember to read, read, read! Come stock up on reading materials for the long holiday weekend – the library will be closed Friday through Sunday, July 3-5.

Visit www.perrylibrary.org for a complete schedule of programs, events and activities.

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The Local Skinny! Servants on Site for Vance County

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UPDATED  7/1/2026 AT 10 A.M. TO INCLUDE COMPLETE LISTING OF CHURCHES THAT PROVIDED SUPPORT TO REBUILDING HOPE’S SERVANTS ON SITE PROGRAM.

Rebuilding Hope’s 13th annual Servants on Site took place last week, and co-director Tom Wille said the 95 youth participants got a chance to work in the community, proclaiming joy, peace and hope from the rooftops – literally.

The youth replaced roofs on nine houses – seven in Vance County and two in Warren County. A number of teens who’ve participated in multiple SOS events have become quite skilled in the process.

They worked hard all day, and got to enjoy evening fellowship with one another, listening to a band and hearing a great message from this year’s speaker, Mitch Smith.

“It’s a very large effort to take the love of Christ out into the county, and share it in a very practical way,” Wille said on Monday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

With Romans 15:13 providing this year’s theme, Wille said the 95 youth and their leaders had the support of about 150 local volunteers who delivered meals to the work sites, helped oversee construction and provided overnight accommodations during the June 22-26 program.

Wille, who’s been a part of each of the previous SOS programs, said this year’s group did another outstanding job.

“We do the work that the Lord points us to,” he said.  “And that is growing people in Christ and rebuilding hope.

“There’s no other way to rebuild hope in anybody without encouraging them practically,” Wille continued. Whether it’s having gospel conversations or meeting their physical needs like providing water, a roof or a wheelchair ramp.

“If we don’t do those practical things, then we’re not doing anything,” he said.

Overnight accommodations and breakfast and supper were provided by Central Baptist Church, where praise and worship services were conducted each evening.

Nine area churches provided worksite lunches each day. The churches are Raleigh Road Baptist, Gardner Baptist, New Life Baptist, North Henderson Baptist, Oxford Baptist, Lake Gaston Baptist, Island Creek Baptist, West Oxford Baptist, West End Baptist churches and South Henderson Pentecostal Holiness Church.

CLICK PLAY to hear Tom Wille!

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 open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8am-1pm
  • Harvest vegetables early or late in the day. Place them in the shade asap.
  • After thunder storms check for standing water in garden rows. Open the ends of rows to let that standing water out.
  • Check squash for squash bugs, remove egg casings.
  • Identify insects before spraying a chemical. Cooperative Extension can help with insect or disease identification.
  • Keep hydrated and do garden chores early or late in the day.
  • Check your garden for harvestable vegetables each day.
  • Monitor plants for Nitrogen deficiency Yellow green leaves are the first sign of nitrogen deficiency.
  • Continue your fruit spray program according to product directions.
  • Record rainfall each day in your garden journal.
  • Get your vegetable publications from Cooperative Extension.
  • 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! Bryan Cohn Accepts Nomination To Replace McRae In House District 32 Contest

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N.C. House District 32 Rep. Bryan Cohn is going to seek a second term after all.

Cohn said he is stepping back into the race for N.C. House District 32 following the unanimous vote of the HD32 Democratic Selection Committee, which met Saturday to select a replacement for Curtis McRae.

Although McRae won the Democratic primary in March, he announced a few weeks ago that he was withdrawing from the race to focus on personal health matters.

“That was a hard call, and I have nothing but respect for him,” Cohn said in a statement provided to WIZS by Angela Thornton, Vance County Democratic Party chairperson.

“I wish Curtis and his family well, and I ask that everyone respect his privacy as he takes care of what matters most right now.”

On the morning of Saturday June 20, the House District 32 Selection Committee met by Zoom. The committee, made up of two delegates from Granville County and two delegates from Vance County, voted unanimously to nominate Cohn as the Democratic candidate for the seat.

Cohn accepted the nomination.

“This seat is too important to leave uncontested,” Cohn said.

Cohn will face Republican Frank Sossamon, who previously held the seat before he was beaten by Cohn in 2024.

“House District 32 is a frontline district, and the work we started together in 2024 is not finished. I am stepping back in with the same energy I brought to this fight two years ago, and I am not letting up,” Cohn said.

Cohn said the campaign is already underway and will focus on protecting public schools, defending rural communities, strengthening local infrastructure, supporting working families, and making sure Granville and Vance counties continue to have a strong voice in Raleigh.

“We are already moving,” Cohn said. “This district knows what is at stake. We won this seat by organizing, showing up, and fighting for every vote. That is exactly what we are going to do again. Let’s get to work.”

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Vance County Jail: Detainee Attempted Jail Break Monday; Detainee Hanged Himself Over Weekend

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The Vance County Jail finds itself back in the news after two separate incidents over the last few days.

Around 1:15 p.m. Monday, a detainee attempted to escape from the jail, and while the detainee did manage to get outside the building itself, the detainee was unable to fully break out.

WIZS News parked a few blocks away and walked down the sidewalk on Breckenridge Street once it was obvious the situation was under control, and from the sidewalk in front of the jail itself, emergency personnel were obviously attending to an injured subject.

About 1:45 p.m. on 6-22-26, emergency personnel remove an injured detainee from between two security fences outside the left, rear corner of the Vance County Jail.

Soon, the detainee was removed in handcuffs on a stretcher and was alert.  The detainee was placed in an ambulance.

From the sidewalk, WIZS News snapped a photo, deliberately not showing anyone’s face, while the detainee was being taken to the ambulance.

On the scene, Sheriff Curtis Brame said, “(The detainee) attempted to escape but did not.” He said, “(The detainee) was caught between the fences.”

Over the weekend, a detainee hanged himself.  Brame said, “He is at (a larger area) hospital. He is not dead.”  Brame said he would know more when he heard from the doctor.

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Vance County Veterans Memorial Installation

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Plans to install the Vance County Veterans Memorial are right on track, with the hard work beginning on Wednesday in advance of the official unveiling and dedication at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 4.

As American Legion Post 60 Commander Hartwell Wright said recently, it’s going to be pretty difficult to keep the 9-foot memorial a secret for the week or so between the time it’s put in its permanent location until the morning of July 4.

But it’ll give folks time to get things tidied up and pretty up the landscaping that will be a part of the monument site, located at 200 Breckenridge St. just outside the Henderson Police Department.

The community is invited to bring lawn chairs and be a part of this momentous occasion, which will include a presentation on the history of Vance County from its beginnings to the present day by local historians Tem Blackburn and Mark Pace.

Fundraising for the monument is going well, with about $18,000 left of the overall $150,000 goal, Wright said. The monument includes a memorial headstone with the names of the 126 names of Vance County military members killed in action.

Wright said, “Folks have been good to us. It’s been a blessing.”

In the event of rain, the ceremony will move to nearby McGregor Hall.

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Granville County’s Rate of 63.1 Cents Remains for FY27, a Nearly $93 Mil Budget

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The Granville County Board of Commissioners approved a $92.9 million budget for FY 2026-27, keeping the county tax rate and the fire service tax rate unchanged and bumping up the Fire District budget by 1.4 percent to close to $3.5 million.

Commissioners approved the budget at their June 15 meeting. County Manager Drew Cummings presented the proposed budget in May. The budget was approved following a presentation of the proposed budget by the County Manager at the May 4, 2026, regular meeting, three budget work sessions, and a public hearing. The new fiscal year takes effect on July 1, 2026.

The county general fund budget for the upcoming fiscal year is $92,946,976, an increase of 2.1 percent, according to information from Granville County Public Information Officer Terry Hobgood.

The Board of Commissioners voted to keep the current county tax rate at $0.631 per $100 valuation and the fire service district tax rate at $0.06 per $100 valuation. Owners of property within the five municipalities in Granville County will also have assessed taxes set by those respective governments.

The greatest percentage of the county’s operating budget is education funding. About $27.3 million, 23 percent of the operating budget, will fund Granville County Public Schools, the charter schools attended by Granville County residents and Vance-Granville Community College. GCPS and associated charter schools will receive $20.6 million for annual operating expenses ($2,563 per pupil – an increase of 7.8% from last year). GCPS will also receive $2.2 million in capital funding in addition to $3.1 million in debt service payments for capital projects. Granville County is also responsible for 25 percent of the VGCC Main Campus operations and 100 percent of the South Campus.

Granville Health System operates the county’s Emergency Medical Service system, which will receive $3.8 million in funding in the next fiscal year. Granville-Vance Public Health will receive $1.27 million from Granville County, which combined with Vance County provides about 14% of the GVPH operating budget. The Granville County Sheriff’s Office and Detention Center will receive $12.4 million in the upcoming budget to provide law enforcement services for all of Granville County, house inmates at the Detention Center, supply School Resource Officers to Granville County Public Schools, and provide security at the Granville County Courthouse.

General Government and Community Services

Commissioners approved a limited number of new positions to enhance services to Granville County residents, including an Assistant Tax Administrator, a janitorial position for the courthouse, converting a part-time Library System position to full-time to perform community outreach, a fleet management position, and a program coordinator for the Granville County Senior Center in Oxford beginning in January 2027. The budget also includes funding to implement the recommendations for an external pay and classification study to ensure that Granville County can recruit and retain the most qualified employees possible.

The Fiscal Year 2026–2027 budget also allocates funds for several upgrades at the Granville Athletic Park. Planned projects include replacing playground equipment in the park’s older section, repairing sections of wooden footbridges along the walking trails, repaving worn and damaged areas of the parking lots, and resurfacing the floor in the sports pavilion

Granville County provides funding to partner agencies who provide critical services to Granville County residents. Recipients in the upcoming year include: Kerr Area Transportation Authority (KARTS), Area Congregations in Ministry (ACIM), Boys & Girls Club, Granville Arts Council, Camp Butner Society, Cornerstone Community Church’s White Flag Shelter, Crime Stoppers, Families Living Violence Free, Franklin Granville Vance Smart Start, Franklin Vance Warren Opportunity Inc., Granville County Chamber of Commerce, Granville County Historical Society (Museum), Henderson-Oxford Airport, Juvenile Crime Prevention Council, and Tar River Land Conservancy.

Learn more about the fiscal year operating budget by visiting www.granvillecounty.org/budget.

— information courtesy of Granville County Public Information Officer Terry Hobgood