The deadline to register to vote in the upcoming municipal elections is fast approaching – Henderson residents have until Friday at 5 p.m. to register, if they are not already registered to do so.
The Henderson municipal elections, during which the next mayor will be elected, take place on Tuesday, Oct. 10.
Early voting begins Sept. 21 at the Andrea L. Harris Operations Center on Beckford Drive.
Remember that a photo ID is required or voting. Early voting ends on Saturday, Oct. 7.
In addition to the mayor, voters will choose City Council members for Ward 1 and Ward 2 and at-large seats for Wards 3 and 4.
The deadline is Friday, Oct. 13 to register for the Nov. 7 Kittrell and Middleburg elections.
Contact the Vance County Board of Elections to learn more at 252.492.3730.
WIZS News has obtained answers from 14 of the 17 total candidates. Please note below our special coverage coming up on the news and TownTalk.
Tune In At 11 A.M. For Towntalk On Sept 13, Sept 14, Sept 18, Sept 19, And Sept 20.
Please Tune In On Air And Online To Receive Information About Candidates In The Upcoming Nonpartisan City Of Henderson Municipal Election.
During These 11 A.M. Broadcasts Of Towntalk On Sept 13, Sept 14, Sept 18, Sept 19, And Sept 20, You Will Be Able To Compare The Candidates So You Can Make An Informed Vote.
If You Miss A Show, All The Information Will Be At Wizs.Com In Audio And Written Form.
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Posted at 10:34 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023:
Candidates, candidate committees and friends of candidates along with the general public, be advised that WIZS has established a deadline of today (Friday, Sept 8, 2023) for candidates to submit information that will be presented in advance of the Oct. 10 municipal elections.
WIZS strives to provide full, impartial coverage to inform the community with regard to candidates and their platforms
It is the firm belief of WIZS that we have reached each candidate at least once, either by phone, email, text or by hand delivery and that each candidate is aware of the deadline. Candidates are requested to return information in writing, but some candidates have asked to speak to us by phone and have us take notes, which we have allowed.
The letter below has been delivered to candidates by multiple means until we were sure at least one way reached the candidate.
Three sitting City Council members are competing for the office of mayor. Sara Coffey, Melissa Elliott and Jason Spriggs are seeking the office of mayor along with Greg Etheridge.
Early voting begins Sept. 21 and continues through Oct. 7, and according to the Vance County Board of Elections, the early voting site again will be located at the Dr. Andrea L. Harris Operations Center on Beckford Drive.
The hours for early voting are Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Polls will be open Saturday, Oct. 7 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
In addition to the mayor, candidates are vying for four seats on the Henderson City Council. Ward 2 incumbent Mike Rainey faces challengers Sam Seifert and Janice Ward, and four newcomers are in the race for the Ward 1 seat. Geraldine Champion, Symia Crews, Clementine Hunter and Corey Pearson are on the ballot for Ward 1.
In two at-large races, Kory Franklin, Michael Venable and Michelle Wood are on the ballot for Ward 3 and George Daye, Lora Durham and Tami Walker are on the ballot for Ward 4.
WIZS Radio and WIZS.com will have the received candidate information broadcast and posted online in advance of the start of early voting as a means for listeners and readers to compare the candidates.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/nonpartisan-municipal-election.jpg294560John C. Rosehttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngJohn C. Rose2023-09-08 10:34:452023-09-08 19:58:23Reminder to Candidates; Deadline Today
For our sponsor, Advance Auto Parts, as part of a paid radio sponsorship on WIZS.
If the inside of your vehicle has lost that “new car smell,” there are a couple of things to check on before you hang another one of those air fresheners on the rear-view mirror.
If your car is a 1990’s model or newer, did you know that it probably has a cabin air filter?
Those things help keep dirt, dust – and smells – from penetrating the vehicle’s interior.
Not sure? Ask the staff at Advance Auto Parts for a little assistance. District Manager Michael Puckett said a clogged cabin air filter could be the culprit for that lingering smell.
Those filters function much like the air filters in your home, Puckett noted on Thursday’s installment of Pop The Hood.
The filters help to trap the dust and dirt and help keep your car’s dashboard and other flat surfaces clean.
If those surfaces need a good wipe down, Advance Auto has a full selection of products to help.
Once you’ve got the interior dusted and gleaming, it may be time to add a fancy scent.
There are plug-in types and sprays in addition to the iconic rectangular tags that hang from the rear-view mirror.
There’s one scent called “New Car Smell,” but Puckett said he’s partial to Cherry himself.
Whether it’s a cleaning product, cabin air filter or other item to help keep your vehicle’s interior shiny and squeaky clean, visit either of the Advance Auto Parts locations in Henderson – on Raleigh Road or just off Dabney Drive – for all your car care needs.
The information contained in this post is not advice from Advance Auto Parts or WIZS. Safety First! Always seek proper help. This is presented for its informational value only and is part of a paid advertising sponsorship.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Advance-Auto-Parts-WIZS-Pop-the-Hood.jpg294560WIZS Staffhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngWIZS Staff2023-09-07 14:30:042023-09-07 18:36:57The Local Skinny! Pop The Hood Keeping Interiors Smelling Fresh
On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.
When planting turnip seed by hand mix the seed with 16-0-0or ammonia nitrate in order to see where you have seeded, also remember good seed to soil contact pack your turnip seed into the soil with a packer.
Prune fruiting canes out of blackberry patch.
Provide irrigation for recently planted transplants
Begin researching options for any tree or shrub plantings you want to do this fall.
We are in full hurricane season, Prepare or check your Emergency Kit. review your emergency weather plan.
Think about trees that might pose a hazard, get them evaluated.
Now is a great time to take soil samples. 2week analysis time.
Fertilizing your lawn? Use the right amount of the right product at the right time.
Keep your Garden Journal up to date. Take pictures of what you grew this spring and what you have planted in the fall garden for future reference.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Home-and-Garden_new030321.jpg265504Bill Harrishttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngBill Harris2023-09-06 13:55:312023-09-06 13:55:31The Local Skinny! Home And Garden Show 09-06-23
The community is invited to attend an informational session on Sept. 12 to learn more about programs offered by Greater Outreach Services.
Charlie Baskerville has held numerous community info events to share resources with people in the area, and the one scheduled for next week will provide information about mental health and other programs and counseling services.
The meeting will take place at Baskerville Funeral Home, 104 S. Chestnut St., and Baskerville said it’s a way for him to give back to his community. It begins at 6 p.m. and will last about an hour, with time for questions afterward, as well as light refreshments.
His experience as a pastor and a military veteran contributed to his idea about providing and serving.
“Those things enlightened me about service,” Baskerville said on Tuesday’s The Local Skinny!
He’s a retired pastor now, but he considers the community info series a type of ministry.
It’s a way to “inform the community of the resources available…to make the community a better place.”
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Baskerville-Funeral-Home-Community-Info-Series-generic.jpg294560WIZS Staffhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngWIZS Staff2023-09-05 13:50:252023-09-05 17:01:52The Local Skinny! Baskerville Funeral Home Hosts Mental Health Community Info Series
It’s been a few years since Warrenton has had a grocery store, but Chris Fisher, owner of Henderson Fruit and Produce, is getting ready to change that – hopefully, by Saturday.
Stop by 140 S. Main St. in downtown Warrenton to check out Henderson Fruit and Produce of Warrenton.
People familiar with the Henderson location at 1215 Old Norlina Rd. may see some familiar items, Fisher said, but he described the Warrenton location as more of a butcher shop, deli and retail store and less of the bulk items that the Henderson store is known for.
Having two locations obviously means double the work, but Fisher is excited for the opportunity and said the fact that they’re only 10 or so miles apart makes it doable.
“I’ve got a great staff – they do most of the work,” he said on Thursday’s segment of The Local Skinny!
The new location has a prime spot in downtown Warrenton, and Fisher said customers can come in for fresh meats, produce, deli items and more.
Need to order for a special occasion? No problem. They can get pigs for pig pickin’s and keep ribeyes and tenderloins in stock. Most special orders are next-day deliveries, but if it’s a large order, it could take a couple of days.
Check out the weekend specials on their Facebook page, or give the Warrenton store a call at 252.879.0234.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/HFandP.png294560Laura Gabelhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngLaura Gabel2023-08-31 14:23:062023-08-31 16:51:47The Local Skinny! Henderson Fruit And Produce Expands To Warrenton
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Home-and-Garden_new030321.jpg265504Bill Harrishttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngBill Harris2023-08-30 13:46:332023-08-30 13:46:33Home And Garden Show
The official first day of autumn is still a few weeks away, but fall programs at Perry Memorial Library are getting started this week.
Youth Services Director Melody Peters said things are shaping up for a wonderful fall at the library – come on in and have some fun!
Mother Goose story time is starting back up after a short end-of-summer break, Children 0-5 are welcome to come hear a few stories, sing a few songs and get some wiggles out, Peters said Tuesday on The Local Skinny!
Before children can read the words on a page, Peters said, they really need to hear the stories read to them.
Children pay attention to the voices as the stories are read aloud, she noted. All the senses are firing in a child’s first two years, so she takes care to choose books that are visually appealing written by diverse authors.
“It’s a fast, full 30 minutes,” Peters said of the weekly story time. “We’re not sitting still for this…we’re goint to have that song and move their bodies,” she said. They “practice” sitting while the stories are being read, but other than that, there’s a good bit of activity.
The story time uses themes and the first one is “On the Farm,” followed by “Apples” and “Fall.”
Story Time is all about “quality, not necessarily quantity,” she said. “You want to leave them wanting more.”
Speaking of more, that’s exactly what teens in grades 6-12 are getting in this season’s Life Hack series, Peters said. To kick things off, there’s STEM gaming fun in the Maker Space in September. From using the popular Wii system to learning about robots, tweens and teens can come together and just get used to coming to the library and using the creative space.
In October, they’ll have a chance to learn about electricity and actually have some hands-on learning by making electric circuits. Peters found a grant to purchase some kits filled with dozens of projects for the teens to learn with.
In November, a local bank representative is going to navigate youth through the ins and outs of personal finance. Although it’s pretty simple to wave your phone in front of a device to pay for something, the time will come when young people will need to be a little more tuned in to paycheck information, bank deposits and checking accounts.
Visit https://www.perrylibrary.org/ to learn about all the programs and services available for children and grownups alike.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Perry-Memorial-Library.jpg265504WIZS Staffhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngWIZS Staff2023-08-29 14:11:222023-08-29 16:41:29The Local Skinny! Upcoming Events At Perry Memorial Library
Vance-Granville Community College, in partnership with a Wake Forest company, has opened up a computer hub at its Franklin Campus to improve the community’s access to technology.
Not only will DigitalBridge provide classes to help individuals learn how to use technology, but the hub is a place where people can come in a get a document printed, for example.
Stephanie Tolbert, VGCC dean of Business, Applied Technologies and Public Services, said the training hub addresses three challenges underserved communities face when it comes to using technology: connectivitiy, affordability and workforce skills training.
The hub is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at the Franklin Campus, located at 8100 Hwy 56 just outside of Louisburg. Additional times and days are available by appointment, Tolbert noted during Monday’s TownTalk.
They had a ribbon-cutting recently and have placed signs outside and in to direct people to the hub.
“We are ready, willing and able to help,” Tolbert said. “Just come to Franklin Campus and walk right into the lab.”
Let’s say you received a document via email, but you need help printing it, Tolbert said. Stop by the hub and get help making a copy. Or say you want to add a certain technology certification to boost your resume – there are more than 130 courses available in a self-paced format, Erica Hixon said.
And it’s all provided at no cost to the participant, Hixon, DigitalBridge’s project lead, said.
The information is all tailored to the individual, depending on goals and skill levels, Hixon said.
“Training is offered in-person or remote,” she added, with career coaches available to guide their efforts.
Whether it’s learning how to print a document, complete an online application all the way up to learning to write computer code, there’s something for everyone. A simple assessment will help target skill levels, so students won’t have to sit through learning information they already know.
It’s all about helping people get jobs, or get better jobs, while they’re gaining confidence with using technology.
“DigitalBridge is an initiative that serves to meet people where they are,” said VGCC Public Information Officer Courtney Cissel.
The idea for the training hub began when VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais was at a national community college conference on entrepreneurship, Tolbert said. Once Desmarais learned about the Wake Forest group, the links were established and the training hub is the result.
“We had to go all the way to a conference to be introduced to someone in our own backyard,” Tolbert said. Desmarais recognized the need for the community, she said, adding that it’s not just a good partnership for the institution, but also for the community.
Learn about all the services the hub can provide by visiting https://mydigitalbridge.org/ or by calling 919.246.5700.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/VGCC-Logo.png265504Laura Gabelhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngLaura Gabel2023-08-28 15:48:142023-08-28 15:48:46The Local Skinny! Gain Computer Skills At VGCC Franklin Campus Training Hub
— For our sponsor, Advance Auto Parts, as part of a paid radio sponsorship on WIZS.
It’s time to wash your ride – maybe past time – and you’ve found a few minutes in an otherwise busy day to put some soap in a bucket and get to work. But before you pull out an old t-shirt from the rag bag and squirt some dish soap in a bucket, you may want to check in with the folks at Advance Auto Parts.
Cleaning your vehicle properly is not as simple as you may think.
Michael Puckett is a district general manager for the auto parts chain, whose shelves are filled with a variety of cleaning products to fit any need, from chenille and microfiber cloths to rubbing compounds and paint touchups.
If you normally run through a car wash to get that road grime off your car or truck, you may find the selection a bit overwhelming. If your car is newer, it may have a protective clear coat on it. If you’re babying a vintage model, you can select a rubbing compound to enhance the color.
And let’s talk about tires and rims for a bit.
“We’ve got brushes to use on your tires,” Puckett said, as well as other products to put some gleam on those tires. Are those pricey rims aluminum or chrome? There’s a different product for each material, and those products aren’t all spray-on, so you’ll need to know how to apply them.
Puckett outlines a 5-step process that he and the staff at Advance Auto recommend to customers to create that perfectly clean vehicle:
Step 1: Wash and headlight restoration
Step 2: Surface prep and paint repair
Step 3: Wax and polish
Step 4: Wheels and tires
Step 5: Glass and interior
There are products that combine wash and wax products for a 2-in-1 effect and Puckett said the ceramic clear coat products help restore faded paint colors.
If your vehicle has a scratch that you’d like to fix, Puckett said there’s a variety of touch-up products on the store shelves to choose from. Don’t see your particular color? Let the folks at Advance Auto make that paint match for you. “We can actually mix it right here at the store,” he said.
“I enjoy helping every customer and helping them get what they need to complete their projects,” Puckett said.
When you’re picking up those cleaning supplies to make your car or truck sparkle, just remember there’s one thing that Advance Auto does NOT stock – elbow grease.
The information contained in this post and audio is not advice from Advance Auto Parts or WIZS. Safety First! Always seek proper help. This is presented for its informational value on and is part of a paid advertising sponsorship.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Advance-Auto-Parts-WIZS-Pop-the-Hood.jpg294560Laura Gabelhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngLaura Gabel2023-08-24 11:33:162023-08-24 16:51:23The Local Skinny! Pop The Hood
