TownTalk: Pathways 2 Peace Workshop Takes Aim At Root Causes Of Violence, Violent Crime

In its very title, the Data-To-Action workshop that took place earlier this month clearly states the mission: We have a lot of data – now, what do we do about it?

Over the course of a day and a half, close to 20 participants from a cross-section of the community shared stories, analyzed data and listened to different perspectives, all in an effort to do something about the rising rates of violence in Henderson and Vance County.

Several of the participants came to the WIZS studios Thursday to share some takeaways from that workshop and to talk about what the future holds as the newly formed nonprofit Pathways 2 Peace continues to gather momentum.

Charles Turrentine, Jr., P2P’s founder, along with Dispatch editor Gary Band and local business owners Tasha Fritz and Roy Brown, Jr., said the workshop was a way to hear from a variety of people and to try to get to the root of problems that lead to violence and violent crimes.

The workshop took place at Vance-Granville Community College on June 6 and 7 and was led by facilitators who guided participants through activities that ultimately produced three root causes that contribute to violence and violent crime in the area, Turrentine said: poverty, broken homes and absenteeism.

“Poverty and broken-down families intertwine with substance abuse, feeding the cycle,” he said.

These factors may be easily identifiable, but what actions to take to reverse the trends is what P2P is focusing on now.

As part of the workshop, the group produced an action plan – concrete ways to address the problems.

As far as a timeframe goes, Turrentine was quick to respond. “The timeframe is now,” he said, mentioning an upcoming Community Read-In, a collaboration with Perry Memorial Library that will take place on June 25.

But P2P has plans to do more, from providing mentorship opportunities and peer support for people struggling to hosting other listening sessions to hear what people want and need.

“That’s where Pathways 2 Peace can help,” Turrentine said. “We’re changing the narrative,” he said, connecting agencies and resources with the people who need them. “We’re not in silos, we’re inviting people to come out,” he said.

“We want to change the mindset,” Turrentine said. A feeling of embarrassment may have a hand in people not asking for help, he said. “It’s ok to need help if you want to do better.”

Ultimately, P2P hopes to have a physical location where people can just walk in and ask for help in finding resources, Fritz said.

Fritz is a creative professional and leads The Savvy Sisters, LLC, a local faith-led company that specializes in branding, marketing and design.

For the past 14 years, she has been working with small businesses to build websites, create logos and more.

She said she had intended to attend the workshop for a few hours, mainly because she had committed to being there.

“I went, I showed up with the attitude of ‘Let’s see what this is all about,’” Fritz said. “Once I got there…it became that much more interesting to me. The facilitators brought everything together, she said. “It turned out to be an extremely powerful session.”

From her perspective, Fritz said it’s a matter of pushing people to believe in themselves. “If we want better, we have to do better…uplift instead of tearing each other down.”

As owner of 2 Kings One City Media Co., Brown said he attended the workshop not just as a member of the business community, but as someone who has seen firsthand some of the struggles people face. Through his work offering peer support, Brown said he believes some of the problems “can be nipped in the bud” if people’s needs can be identified and addressed so they can get their lives back on track.

Connecting people to existing resources is a critical component to addressing those needs, everything from finding clothing or household items when money is tight to accessing mental health agencies or substance abuse treatment programs.

Turrentine said he wants people to be able to access resources when they need them to help them get to their destinations – it’s a temporary support that isn’t designed for long-term dependence.

“The system is not designed to be an enabler,” he said, rather, it’s “designed to help you get off the system.”

Band said he witnessed “energy, enthusiasm and engagement” during the workshop, and participants seemed to be laser-focused on the issues that are negatively affecting the city and county.

The community doesn’t necessarily need more programs, he said, but more connections.

“If we can recognize where those resources exist,” Band said, and be able to approach and engage people, the work will pay dividends.

There’s a new website that is offering just such a listing of resources called Connect to Henderson. Agencies and organizations can submit information about the services and programs they provide. The website is https://www.connect-to-henderson.com/

Turrentine said P2P is developing a board now that will create a solid foundation of like-minded people willing to work to improve those three key root causes that were identified: poverty, broken families and absenteeism.

It’s going to take strong leadership – and funding – to make sure P2P is sustainable.

“We want to sustain ourselves,” he said. “While we’re doing the business, we’re doing the work. We’re going to still continue to do the work.”

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TownTalk: Keeping Teen Drivers Safe

Teens are four times as likely to be in a car crash and three times as likely to die in a crash, according to information from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a nonprofit organization that conducts research on crash testing and safety tests on vehicles, and rates them according to those results. The IIHS is fully funded by the automobile insurance industry and provides information to policy makers and departments of transportation about how to make roadways safer.

Joe Young, IIHS director of Media Relations, cited four main – and familiar – factors that contribute to car crashes: distracted driving, impaired driving, speeding and failure to use seatbelts.

Now that most schools are out for the summer, there’s a greater likelihood that more teen drivers are on the road, and they’ve got friends or family as passengers.

“Looking nationwide, we see about 30 extra teens dying each month in crashes” during the summer, Young said.

“In North Carolina, we do see crash deaths are a little bit above (the national) average,” he said.

They may be driving to places they’re less familiar with – like the beach or other vacation spot, Young said on Wednesday’s TownTalk.

The time between Memorial Day and Labor Day has become known as the 100 deadliest days of the year, Young said, for the simple fact that more cars are on the road, and some of those cars are being driven by inexperienced drivers. Throw in one or more of those four factors and it all adds up to be a more dangerous driving environment, Young said.

And while awareness plays a role in reducing car crashes, Young recommends several additional tangible steps for parents and teens to take. Here are a few things to consider:

  • Choose a safe vehicle for your teen to drive. Keep them out of the smallest vehicle that may not offer great protection, and out of the largest vehicles that may prove more difficult to handle out on the road. A mid-size “boring” car that provides good crash protection is ideal, Young said.
  • Vehicles get safer every year. Don’t put teens in an older vehicle, he said, acknowledging the fact that parents may think that an older model may be a good option for the pocketbook.
  • Keep a teen driver out of a vehicle that has a lot of power, like a “muscle” car or even a new EV choice.
  • Parents are in charge and can set rules above and beyond what state laws require. North Carolina has a graduated driver license that places limits on when a new driver can drive, among other things.

“Our reminder to parents is to get to know the laws in your state, but feel free to make your own rules,” Young said.

“And set a good example” for teen drivers. “They’re always watching.”

Visit www.iihs.org to find a list of cars for drivers of all ages based on safety considerations. Download a teen driver contract template as well.

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TownTalk: 9th Annual Bee Jubilee Buzzes Into Granville County Expo Center Saturday, June 28

The 9th annual Bee Jubilee and Food Truck Rodeo will take place on Saturday, June 28 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Granville County Convention & Expo Center.

Christy Henthorn, one of the event organizers, said the daylong celebration of all things “bee” has something for everyone, from educational workshops to live entertainment and a live auction – not to mention all the honey and beeswax products that will be available for purchase.

The event is free to the public and has evolved from a small event with a couple of hundred visitors to one that attracts thousands of folks from near and far.

There are additional children’s activities planned for this year, Henthorn said. “It will be very well rounded…there will be something for everyone.”

Anticipating hot temperatures, there will be a misting tent to help visitors keep cool, but there’s another activity that’s going to make an even bigger splash – a dunk tank.

Sign up to spend 15 minutes in the dunk tank and help raise money that will be sent to beekeepers in western North Carolina who lost hives in last fall’s flooding.

The event, hosted by the Granville County Beekeepers, celebrates all types of pollinators, Henthorn said, from honeybees to native bees, and other animals that pollinate, from insects to birds and other animals.

Workshops will be held throughout the morning on a variety of topics including Beekeeping 101, apitherapy (bee venom therapy) and planting for pollinators.

The live auction will begin at 1:30 p.m. and there will be a competition that judges local honey and products made with local honey and beeswax.

Find out all the details, including rules and categories for the judging competition at https://granvillecobeekeepers.wildapricot.org/BEE-JUBILEE

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TownTalk: Commissioners Expected To Adopt $66M Budget Monday, June 23

The Vance County Board of Commissioners is expected to adopt the FY 2025-26 budget at a meeting to be held at 4 p.m. on June 23. At a budget work session on Monday, June 16, commissioners discussed increasing teacher supplements, skyrocketing insurance costs and cost-of-living adjustments – all of which contributed to $3.1 million in new expenses that caused the budget to be about 10 percent more than last year’s approved budget.

County Manager C. Renee Perry said the 2025-26 budget stands at $66,383,251, which is $1.4 million more than the budget that she presented to commissioners in May.

Perry said $4,068,875 will come from the general fund to balance the budget.

With $1.2 million for health insurance, $1.2 million in additional funds to the school system and $750,000 in cost-of-living adjustments for county employees, the budget had no way to go but up.

Vance County Schools will use the extra $1.2 million to cover a supplement increase to $1,000 for certified teachers and a 2 percent adjustment for classified staff. “This will be recurring annually and it’s three pennies of the tax increase from last year,” Perry told WIZS News Tuesday morning.

During the budget work session, Commission Chair Carolyn Faines vocalized support for teachers. Despite decreasing enrollment, school consolidation and fewer teachers working in the district, Faines said, “Teachers are still teaching…it’s not about how many students or how many teachers.”

Commissioner Leo Kelly advocated for the supplement increase to show “we support you and we’re doing everything we can to keep you,” Kelly said. “I support giving them as much as we can.”

Property and liability insurance rates also climbed by $85,000, Perry said, because of the situation with the Department of Social Services child welfare liabilities takeover by the state and the ongoing issues at the detention center. And Perry Memorial Library Director Patti McNally asked for an additional $63,000 for library employees’ health insurance.

The rates had not been released when the library budget request was submitted, Perry said, so that’s why it was not included in the original request. Library employees are included among those who get health insurance from the county.

“At some point, we have to have discussions on how to possibly reduce our budget,” Perry stated to commissioners, “but also increase our tax base with economic development – we have to.”

About 20 minutes into the work session, Commissioner Tommy Hester asked where the county could look to decrease the budget.

“I’m going to bring up a touchy subject and I might as well bring it up now while we’re looking at a decrease,” Hester said.

He continued by stating that the Vance County Rescue Squad has received more than $785,000 in the past 35 months – that’s about $25,000 a month, he figured.

How much money would the county save if the rescue squad functions were placed under the umbrella of the Vance County Fire Department?

Addressing commissioners, Fire Chief Marvin Harrison said it would be a matter of millions, over 15 or 20 years’ time.

The current contract with the rescue squad ends on June 30, 2025, and commissioners agreed that a 90-day extension would allow for adequate discussion. Faines said she would like to have rescue squad representatives come to the July meeting.

Perry told WIZS News Tuesday that “the rescue squad would be funded for 90 days while Vance County Fire Department purchases equipment and apparatus needed to provide the same service that the rescue squad offers. “A lot of people in this community think that because it’s in Vance County that that’s part of the county. It is not,” Hester emphasized.

Harrison told commissioners that the county has sufficient staff trained for rescue to be successful if a consolidation occurs. Perry confirmed that statement Tuesday. “The county fire department has staff trained currently as well as other volunteer fire agencies trained to assist if needed.”

What the county lacks is the equipment necessary to do the job properly.

Harrison said the rescue squad is supposed to provide the services of heavy rescue, water rescue and another service that he didn’t specify.

Brummitt said the rescue squad assists firefighters on calls. “They…provide air bottles when they’re on scene, they refill air bottles when they’re fighting fires.”

Harrison said it would cost roughly $150,000 – a one-time cost – to purchase the equipment needed to perform the rescue services.

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Granville Vance Public Health Community Health Assessment Participants Needed

 

Residents of Vance and Granville counties have until around mid-July to help Granville Vance Public Health gather information for the 2025 Community Health Assessment.

GVPH Director Lisa Harrison said the survey takes 15 or 20 minutes to complete, and the data will be used to guide the health department in developing programs that address health priorities in the two counties it serves over the next four years.

Harrison called residents in the two counties “our main customer, our main patient,” and the surveys will help her and health department staff understand what the priorities are within the community.

Anyone with a computer or a cell phone can access the survey, Harrison said on Monday’s TownTalk.  Find it here: https://survey.sogolytics.com/r/GN8UoS

Paper copies also are available by calling GVPH’s Oxford office at 919.693.2141.

The most recent community health assessment, completed in 2021, revealed that folks are interested in affordable health care options, focusing on the health and safety of youth and substance use prevention and treatment options.

Having those three priorities helps Harrison and others focus attention – and money – on areas that are important to folks locally.

“It is really critical that we figure out priorities,” Harrison said. “It is your chance, as our community, to tell us really what’s important to you and what you want us to focus our limited resources on.”

Using data from the community health assessment helps Harrison and her team focus on the right issues, she said.

She hopes to get about 500 completed surveys from each county.

“We don’t do anything in public health without community at our side and as our focus,” Harrison said. “It is the thing we love. We do take everybody’s opinion seriously and make sure that we capture it regularly so that we make the right kind of progress for our local comm, not just what’s happening everywhere else in the world.”

“We welcome everyone’s opinion, in every different neighborhood and crossroad” from retirees to youth, Harrison said she wants the community health assessment to capture different opinions and perspectives.

The survey is anonymous, and Harrison said participants have the option to skip questions they don’t want to answer and complete the survey over more than one sitting. The survey will most likely be open until July 11 to make sure people have enough time to go through it.

“Health is critical for all the things we do in life. If we’re not healthy, we can’t be productive, word-hard citizens…we can’t be good family members, we can’t be safe drivers…all the things go back to our health. We’re proud to be your folks working on that every day.”

 

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No Doubt About It: Council Votes To Formally Adopt FY 2025-26 Budget At Special Called Meeting Monday

The Henderson City Council took just a few minutes Monday to formally adopt the FY 2025-26 budget during a special called meeting that took place at 12 noon in Council chambers.

City Manager/City Attorney Hassan T. Kingsberry introduced the budget and Council Member Tami Walker made a motion – seconded by Council Member Garry Daeke – to approve.

Council Members Geraldine Champion, Sam Seifert, Michael Venable, Daeke and Walker voted yes.

Council Members Sara Coffey, Lamont Noel and Ola Thorpe-Cooper were not present for the meeting.

The budget adoption had been on the agenda at the June 9 regular monthly meeting, but there was some confusion about whether the council actually took a vote to formally adopt the $54 million budget.

Mayor Melissa Elliott remarked at the special called meeting that she didn’t request an addendum to the budget when she called for the vote at last week’s meeting.

That confusion was cleared up by the vote taken during the special called meeting.

The budget must be approved before July 1, when the new fiscal year begins.

Henderson City Council Special Called Meeting Set For Monday To Formally Adopt FY 2025-26 Budget

Update 6-16-25 at 1 p.m.

The Henderson City Council took just a few minutes Monday to formally adopt the FY 2025-26 budget during a special called meeting that took place at 12 noon in Council chambers.

City Manager/City Attorney Hassan T. Kingsberry introduced the budget and Council Member Tami Walker made a motion – seconded by Council Member Garry Daeke – to approve.

Council Members Geraldine Champion, Sam Seifert, Michael Venable, Daeke and Walker voted yes.

Council Members Sara Coffey, Lamont Noel and Ola Thorpe-Cooper were not present for the meeting.

The budget adoption had been on the agenda at the June 9 regular monthly meeting, but there was some confusion about whether the council actually took a vote to formally adopt the $54 million budget.

Mayor Melissa Elliott remarked at the special called meeting that she didn’t request an addendum to the budget when she called for the vote at last week’s meeting.

That confusion was cleared up by the vote taken during the special called meeting.

The budget must be approved before July 1, when the new fiscal year begins.

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Depending on whom you ask, the Henderson City Council voted Monday to adopt the 2025-26 budget.

But because of the uncertainty and confusion generated since that meeting, a special called meeting has been scheduled for 12 noon on Monday, June 16 to make official the formal adoption of the $54 million budget.

Information about the special called meeting comes from City Clerk Tracey Kimbrell. The meeting will take place at City Hall in City Council Chambers, 134 Rose Ave.

“On Monday night, the Henderson City Council technically voted on CAF 25-45, Ordinance 25-16, (Adoption of the FY26 Budget).   A correction sheet (labeled “CAF 25-45, Ordinance 25-16 water and sewer adjustments) regarding water and sewer rate adjustments was given to Council members prior to the meeting on Monday because calculations were incomplete at the time the agenda was distributed, preventing updates to the Schedule of Fees in the Budget Ordinance (25-16),” according to information Thursday afternoon from the clerk.

In a follow-up question from WIZS News Tuesday evening about whether the budget had been voted on, City Manager/City Attorney Hassan Kingsberry said it had been, when the council voted to increase a line item in the budget about McGregor Hall.

Whichever of these two votes was intended to adopt the budget, it’s apparently been decided by virtue of the upcoming special called meeting that neither one of the votes on Monday night was formal enough.

According to information in the agenda packet, the Council was to consider CAF 25-45 – adoption of the FY 26 annual budget.

Otherwise, as the information below indicates, the process leading up to the vote had been very productive despite some difficulties with data loss and the need to adjust the water and sewer rates. Information from the agenda packet reads as follows:

“CAF 25-45 Adoption of the FY 26 Annual Budget

“Requested by: Finance Director Joey Fuqua

“Explanation: On 12 May 2025 the FY 25-26, a balanced Recommended Budget was presented to the City Council followed by two budget work sessions on 19 May and 20 May and a public hearing on 22 May. After all reviews, answered questions and discussions, the City Council reached a consensus on accepting the FY 25-26 budget as presented. Submitted herewith, the City of Henderson FY 25-26 annual budget is presented for formal adoption at the 9 June 2025 regular City Council meeting.

“Recommendation: Approval of the Ordinance”

So while a consensus may have been reached following the budget work sessions and a public hearing, a vote specifically to formally adopt the budget did not occur at the Monday meeting.

Otherwise, another roll call vote was taken following Council Member Tami Walker’s motion to reinstate Michael Venable as mayor pro tem. That motion failed in a 5-3 vote, which means that Council Member Garry Daeke remains mayor pro tem. Council Members Sara Coffey, Lamont Noel, Sam Seifert, Ola Thorpe-Cooper and Daeke voted against the motion; Council Members Geraldine Champion, Tami Walker and Venable voted yes.

Council Member Noel brought up for discussion hiring an independent legal counsel for the purpose of reviewing recent city employee surveys and complaints that have surfaced as a result of the surveys.

Following some discussion, Council Member Seifert made a motion, seconded by Daeke, to approve hiring the firm, which will be tasked with conducting a complete review of the information contained in the surveys to render an independent and unbiased report on the findings. The motion was approved in a 5-3 vote, with Coffey, Noel, Seifert, Daeke and Thorpe-Cooper voting yes and Walker, Venable and Champion voting no.

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TownTalk: 06/11/25

TownTalk from 06/11/25. Thank you for listening.

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TownTalk: Faith in Mental Health

When he was serving in the N.C. House as District 32 representative, Frank Sossamon introduced a bill to create a faith-based initiative on substance abuse and mental health.

He served one term in the House, and his bill didn’t get through the Senate to become law, but Sossamon was undeterred.

In partnership with Granville Vance Public Health, Vaya Health and N.C. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Sossamon’s “Faith in Mental Health” initiative is gathering steam to involve churches in Vance and Granville counties to combat issues surrounding substance abuse and mental health.

Two orientation sessions are scheduled – Monday, June 23 at West End Baptist Church in Henderson and Monday, June 30 at the Granville County Convention and Expo Center in Oxford – to kick off a three-part program to give churches information about resources available to them and to the community. Each session will last from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Sossamon said in speaking with various church leaders about developing the initiative, he said more often than not, they didn’t know what services and resources are available when it comes to mental health and substance abuse issues.

“That’s the sad thing, not only they don’t know,” he said of those church representatives, “the average person doesn’t know.”

This is where the orientation sessions can help, he said. During these initial meetings, participants will complete the first of three levels of involvement.

“Level 1 is the most basic level, but maybe one of the most effective,” Sossamon said. Participants will learn about the different agencies in their county and hear from some representatives about the services they provide and how to access them.

Churches participating at this level also will agree to highlight a different topic each month in the Sunday service bulletin or newsletter, for example.

Pastors will be encouraged to preach a sermon on that topic or discuss it during a weekly Sunday School session.

Hearing about mental health or substance abuse from the pulpit or in a Sunday School class help to demystify the issues, he said. “That in itself brings healing,” he said.

Level 2 participating churches will agree to have quarterly forums on mental health issues, and Sossamon said he would encourage several churches to join forces and have one forum. There are speakers who are willing to take part in the forums and plenty of resources available to share with churches, he noted.

“It just has such great promise,” Sossamon said.

Level 2 churches also would establish a library to offer reading material related to mental health.

Those churches that wish to meet Level 3 criteria would be willing to complete more clinical training sessions to get certified. From suicide prevention training to mental health first aid, Sossamon said these trainings are “a little more intense.”

Contact Sossamon at pastorfrank1954@gmail.com to learn more.

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TownTalk: Elder Abuse Awareness Conference Coming June 13th

The Kerr-Tar Council of Governments is hosting the 11th annual elder abuse awareness and prevention day on Friday, June 13 at the Warren County Armory Civic Center.

This event is free and open to the public, and Kim Hawkins, KTCOG’s regional ombudsman, said it’s the perfect time to come out and learn more about what elder abuse is, how to spot it and report it to keep vulnerable senior adults safe from being physically, emotionally and financially exploited.

In North Carolina, the time between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day is usually when organizations and agencies focus on providing educational programs like the one that will happen Friday, Hawkins said.

“It’s going to be a fun day,” she said. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will feature dozens of vendors, t-shirts, entertainment from the Vance and Warren senior centers, a commemorative walk, lunch – and ice cream! The colors for the day are purple and silver, representing abuse awareness and elders, respectively.

“We hope everybody will come out and gain some information,” Hawkins said, adding that it’s events like this that help remind us how important senior adults are to their communities.

The vendors represent agencies and other organizations that provide information and resources; they’ll be on hand to help people become more aware of what’s in their community and how to report to the Department of Social Services if you suspect a senior is at risk.

One in 10 individuals over the age of 65 will experience some form of abuse, Hawkins said. The signs of abuse can be subtle, and sometimes people don’t report for fear of retaliation, isolation or just plain old embarrassment.

Anyone who suspects abuse is obligated to report to DSS, Hawkins noted. The reports are anonymous, but the elder person’s name and his/her location is necessary.

Signs could range from outward changes or changes in personality – think about the person who once could chat on and on who now won’t pick up the phone when it rings, she said.

It could be a change in a person’s tone of voice or facial expressions, or it could be something like self-neglect that could be a sign of cognitive decline.

Hawkins monitors long-term care facilities; call her at 252.436.2050 to learn more. Or call the main KTCOG number at 252.436.2040 if you’d like information about other topics.

Visit www.kerrtarcog.org for more details.

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