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 open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8am to 1pm. Today they have tomatoes, snapbeans, beets, cabbages, yellow squash, zucchini squash, red irish potatoes, cantaloupes, watermelons, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, and peaches.
  • The 2025 Landowners and Heirs Property Workshop will be on July 24th, 2025 from 8am to 4:30pm at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.
  • Check for flooded rows after storms have passed open ends of rows to let excess water out.
  • Check soil for moisture before watering plants.
  • Cooperative Extension has excellent publications on canning and freezing your garden harvest.
  • Do not prune back azaleas now or you will lose next year’s blooms.
  • If you have harvested your irish potatoes, plant some other vegetable in that location.
  • Do garden chores early morning or late evening.
  • Let your children and grandchildren help in the garden and teach them now, they are our future gardeners.
  • Service your lawn mower according to the owners manual.
  • Check the harvest interval before spraying any fruits or vegetables that you are planning to harvest soon.
  • Keep your garden journal up to date.
  • Check houseplants dust weekly with a soft cloth.
  • Check storage areas for mice.

The Vance County Cooperative Extension 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! July Fun at Perry Memorial Library

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Kids can beat the heat on Tuesday mornings in July by ducking into Perry Memorial Library and catching a movie. And parents, you can’t beat the price: it’s FREE!

The movie series kicked off today with the popular Dog Man on the big screen. The movies begin at 11 a.m., and Youth Services Librarian Melody Peters said next up is Mufasa on July 8, followed by Sonic 3 on July 22.

Tuesday afternoons heat up with a string of “Color My World” activities, the Summer Reading Program theme.

On Tuesday, July 8 at 4 p.m., it’s “Color My World With Fossils” when Coleman Davis with the N.C. Fossil Club brings his collection to the library.

Peters said the club, founded through the N.C. Museum of History, sends representatives to places like Perry Library to do outreach activities.

“It’s quite something,” Peters said of Davis’s collection. “I learned so much last year.”

But Tuesdays don’t get all the fun stuff during the summer – Thursdays are filled with activities for all ages of young people all day long.

There’s Mother Goose Story Time at 11 on Thursdays, where children 0-5 (and their siblings, too) can gather to enjoy stories and songs with a summer theme.

Then, on Thursday afternoons, a shorter version of the story time kicks off at 3:30 p.m. “It’s designed for families on the go,” Peters said. A quick story followed by those ever-popular bubbles for children from PK through elementary school.

Kids can stay for LEGO Club or STEAM Club, which start at 4 p.m. for the younger crowd, or stick around for Teen Time in the Maker Space, which will be stocked with snacks and arts and crafts activities.

Peters said the summer reading program is off to a good start, and she is pleased to see that entire families are participating.

“I love the response we’re getting,” she said. “We’ve got families reading together,” she said, filling out very simple reading logs and then coming in and choosing their prizes.

It’s a great way for parents to get involved with their kids’ activities, she said.

Check out www.perrylibrary.org to view the complete schedule of events and activities.

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Maria Parham Health Launches Community Health Needs Assessment

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— Information from Donna Young, Maria Parham Health Market Coordinator, Marketing & Communications 

 

Maria Parham Health, in collaboration with local health professionals and community stakeholders, has launched a comprehensive Community Health Needs Assessment to identify public health priorities, goals and objectives in Vance County.  This initiative is part of the hospital’s ongoing commitment to improving and promoting the health of every community member.

The assessment is a structured approach to gathering, analyzing and disseminating information about the community’s overall health. It is designed to identify the factors negatively affecting public health and to determine the availability of resources to address those identified issues.

Maria Parham Health conducted its previous community health needs assessment three years ago, according to information from Donna Young, MPH market coordinator for Marketing & Communications. The new assessment will evaluate the progress made since then and outline what still needs to be done. The current assessment is expected to be completed by the end of October, with results to be shared publicly in a comprehensive report.

“Guided by the results of this important community assessment and the progress we’ve made since the last CHNA, we will soon have a more comprehensive understanding of the health needs of our community,” said Bert Beard, CEO of Maria Parham Health. “This will help us focus our resources as we work towards making communities healthier.”

The CHNA will draw from both existing and newly collected data to evaluate local health needs and recommend potential solutions. Some of the data sources include previous assessments conducted by local, state and federal public health organizations.

A key element of the assessment is community engagement. A focus group will be conducted and community members, physicians and hospital staff will be surveyed to gather perspectives on local health concerns and needed changes. This qualitative insight will be combined with quantitative data to shape health improvement priorities.

“The survey will be looking at concerns as seen through the eyes of the residents of Vance County,” Beard said.

Data for the CHNA is being collected and analyzed by Strata, Maria Parham Health’s research partner. Strata will interpret the findings and present them to the hospital’s board of directors and to administrative leadership, helping to guide the refinement of programs and services to better meet community health needs.

Following the completion of data collection, a Community Health Summit will be held to present the findings and further engage the public in health improvement planning. Maria Parham Health will also align its findings with the Granville Vance Public Health CHNA to ensure a coordinated and effective response.

“As we demonstrated with our last CHNA, our community assessment is not just about producing a report—it’s about creating a sustained action plan that truly improves the lives of the people in our community,” said Beard.

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Food Bank Teaming Up With Schools, Henderson Family YMCA For Summer Food Distribution During July

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The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina is partnering with Vance County Schools and the Henderson Family YMCA to provide food to children during the summer.

Two food distribution sites will be set up throughout the month of July – Wednesdays at Vance County Middle School and Fridays at the Henderson Family YMCA – to provide a week’s worth of shelf-stable breakfast and lunch items for any child 18 years and under who resides in Vance County.

The Wednesday dates are July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23 and July 30 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Vance County Middle School, located at 293 Warrenton Rd.

The Friday dates are July 11, July 18 and July 25 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Y, located at 380 Ruin Creek Rd.

Participants may visit one site per week; the program is open to any child in Vance County.

Along with the food items, children and families will be able to pick up other items and get connected with other community resources.

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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 open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8am to 1pm. Today they have tomatoes, snapbeans, beets, cabbages, yellow squash, zucchini squash, red irish potatoes, cantaloupes, watermelons, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, and peaches.
  • The Evolution of Extension Event is this Thursday, on June 26th from 12pm-4pm at the Vance County Cooperative Extension’s Office.
  • Keep hydrated with water during these hot days.
  • Check soil for moisture before watering plants.
  • When you go on vacation, have someone harvest your vegetables while you are away.
  • Check squash for squash bugs and look for egg casings.
  • Water your tomatoes at the bottom of the plant not overhead to prevent leaf diseases.
  • Do garden chores early morning or late evening.
  • If you have extra vegetables, share them with someone who can’t raise a garden.
  • Service your lawn mower according to the owners manual.
  • Continue your fruit tree spray program according to the label directions of the product that you are using.
  • Keep your garden journal up to date.
  • Check houseplants dust weekly with a soft cloth.
  • Check storage areas for mice.

The Vance County Cooperative Extension 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! Children’s Theatre Camp Show ‘Once Upon A Mattress’ Opens Friday, June 27

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The Children’s Theatre Camp is in its second week of its two-week program at McGregor Hall, and Mark Hopper said that 54 campers are in rehearsal now for the production of Once Upon A Mattress that will be performed this weekend.

There are three shows for the public – Friday, June 27 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday matinees that begin at 3 p.m. The shows last about an hour, the perfect length for families with young children.

“It’s a great family-oriented show,” Hopper said, “and the duration makes it great for any age.” There’s singing and choreography – with plenty of comedic shenanigans and campy jokes, he said, that are sure to keep the audience entertained.

Jo Ellen Nowell is directing the youngsters as they prepare to put on the show about a very loud princess named Winnifred and a Queen’s attempts to find a suitable wife for her son, the Prince.

This is the fifth year for the Children’s Theatre Camp, Hopper said on Tuesday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

Charlotte Davis is cast as Winnifred and Hopper called her work “phenomenal.”

“We’ve got some unbelievably talented kids on that stage – 54 of them,” he said.

There will be a daytime performance on Friday, June 27 especially for campers at the Henderson Family YMCA and Recreation and Parks, Hopper said.

Hopefully, more young people will see others their age on stage and realize that it’s something that could be an option for them one day as well.

“We wanted to make a camp that was affordable,” Hopper said, while offering access to high-quality material, staff and equipment that McGregor Hall performances are known for.

For $100, rising 3rd graders through rising 11th graders could participate for eight hours a day and then, “at the end of two weeks, produce a quality show,” Hopper said.

Purchase tickets here: https://mcgregorhall.ludus.com/index.php

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Vance County Logo

The Local Skinny! Vance County Adopts $66M Budget; Tax Rate Stays The Same

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The Vance County Board of Commissioners adopted the $66 million FY 2025-26 budget Monday afternoon – it’s bigger by about $1.4 million than was first recommended by County Manager C. Renee Perry, but it includes more money for county school district teachers and classified staff. The budget figure Perry mentioned at a June 16 budget work session is $66,383,251, with $4,068,875 coming from the general fund to balance the budget.

Commissioners Valencia Perry and Dan Brummitt voted against the budget.

“I just feel that this budget – it’s an increase of almost 11 percent – and this is on the backs of our taxpaying citizens. I think at some point we’ve got to look at cutting expenses rather than generating new revenues,” Brummitt said. “It’s just something that we need to focus on, and hopefully this coming year, we’ll do something different that we can work towards that.”

Other items contributing to the increase in the budget are insurance costs and cost-of-living adjustments for county employees. Manager Perry told commissioners at a June 16 budget work session that health insurance costs rose by $1.2 million and $750,000 was needed for COLA costs for county employees – both of which are necessary expenditures. The commissioners were united in their support for Vance County Schools’ certified and classified staff getting more money – another $1,000 for teachers and a 2 percent salary increase for classified staff – although it wasn’t the full amount the school district had requested.

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Home and Garden Show

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Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.

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Perry Memorial Library

The Local Skinny! Perry Memorial Library Activities Heat Up As Summer Approaches

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There’s a “sit-in” planned for next week outside Perry Memorial Library, but it has nothing to do with protests – it’s a Community Read-In, and Youth Services Director Melody Peters says it’s a great way for folks to come out to show support for all the benefits of reading.

The invitation is open for anyone and everyone to gather on the lawn outside the library from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 25. Bring a lawn chair and bring your favorite printed material – whether that’s a book, magazine or newspaper – and enjoy reading with your neighbors.

Peters said she got the idea for the “read-in” at a recent community meeting where the discussion centered around ways to help the community move forward. “We need to show solidarity around something positive,” Peters said on Tuesday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

“Reading is positive. It’s peaceful. We want to see people reading,” she said. “In a world of electronics and AI, we need books.”

There’s another program taking place in the community that is gaining traction. There are book baskets located across the county that contain three different books that are free for the taking – it’s another effort to bring books to folks who may not be able to get to the library and to support the idea that reading is an enjoyable pastime. Peters said the program is proving to be successful. “It is so exciting…the books are moving,” she said.

This is the first time she’s doing this program, and she’s pleased so far. “You put things together and you never know how it’s going to work” until  it gets going, she said.

The book baskets are located at Perry Memorial Library and at the following spots:

  • Aycock Recreation Center
  • Carolina Peanut Factory
  • Duke Primary Care Henderson
  • Henderson Family YMCA
  • Oasis of Hope Ministries
  • Sadie’s Coffee Corner
  • Starbucks, 1522 Dabney Dr.
  • Vance County Regional Farmers Market
  • Vanco Outdoor Equipment, 296 US 158

 

But reading isn’t the only thing that Peters is promoting – Saturday, June 21 is the Vance County Arts Council’s ‘Make Music Day’ and the library is the place where the day-long event will kick off.

“We’re having a musical storytime this Saturday at 12:30,” Peters said. Participants will sing songs, read stories about music and even make their own musical instrument with dry rice, a plastic egg and colorful duct tape.

Visit https://vanceartscouncil.com/event/make-music-day-saturday-june-21-2025/ for a full list of events for Make Music Day.

If you’re still looking for some fun reading activities, bring the kiddos to Family Storytime at the library on Sunday, June 22 at 3:30 p.m. The theme is “Summer” and Peters said they’ll read a story about summertime and an accompanying craft activity.

Throughout the summer, Peters said Tuesdays and Thursdays are “the” days for programming and activities.

On Tuesday, June 24, a local mobile petting zoo – yes! A mobile petting zoo called Zoo on the MOOVE will bring some of their favorite furry friends for a fun, interactive visit that begins at 11 a.m.

“These are their animals,” Peters said of the owners. “They love their animals and they want to share them with others.” Kids (and grownups, too) will get to interact with the animals and the owners will share information about them.

Then, at 4 p.m., staff from the Vance County Animal Shelter will bring some of their favorite dogs and cats who are looking for that “furever” home for a visit. Peters said the cats and dogs are always a big crowd favorite. Kids will get a chance to make dog toys out of old t-shirts and socks.

Visit https://www.perrylibrary.org/home to see a complete listing of programs and activities taking place at the library.

 

 

 

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Arrest Made in Double Homicide Investigation

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This morning, at approximately 9 (o’clock), Michael Sharron Wright (age 41) was taken into custody without incident by Sheriff Robert Fountain of the Granville County Sheriff’s Office. Wright was apprehended in connection with the June 15, 2025, double homicide on Maple Street in Henderson.

Following his arrest, investigators from the Henderson Police Department processed Wright alongside the Granville County deputies, and he was presented before a Granville County Magistrate for formal warrant service. He was ordered held without bond pending his initial court appearance and is currently being housed at the Granville County Detention Center.

The Henderson Police Department extends its sincere gratitude to Sheriff Robert Fountain and the deputies of the Granville County Sheriff’s Office for their swift and professional partnership as they worked in conjunction with our agency throughout the night. We also wish to thank the Vance County and Franklin County Sheriff’s Offices for their support during the course of this investigation.

This remains an active investigation. Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact the Henderson Police Department at 252-438-4141 or Crime Stoppers at 252-492-1925.

— press release 6-16-25 at 11:06 a.m.

Marcus W. Barrow
Chief of Police

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On Sunday, June 15, 2025, at approximately 6:45 PM, officers with the Henderson Police Department were dispatched to the 900 block of Maple Street in reference to a reported shooting.

Upon arrival, officers located two victims suffering from gunshot wounds: Teresa Davis, age 63, and her son, Joseph Jeffreys Jr., age 26, both of Maple Street. Sadly, both individuals were pronounced deceased at the scene by medical personnel.

This is an active and ongoing investigation. Based on information gathered thus far, detectives have obtained warrants for Michael Sharron Wright, age 41, for the homicide of both victims. Wright was last seen fleeing the area in a white Hyundai Sonata bearing North Carolina license plate KEE-6554.

Wright is considered armed and dangerous. Do not approach. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to contact the Henderson Police Department at (252) 438-4141 or call 911 immediately. Tips that can aid in the apprehension of the suspect or assist the ongoing investigation are strongly encouraged.

No further details can be released at this time to protect the integrity of the investigation.

— press release 6-15-25 at 10:19 p.m.

Marcus W. Barrow
Chief of Police
Henderson Police Department
200 Breckenridge Street
Henderson, NC 27536
Tele: (252)431-6055
Fax: (252)438-7311