TownTalk: Local Media Featured Topic In Chamber’s ‘Envision Vance’ Publication

 

If the WIZS radio tower or the old Dispatch printing presses could talk, oh, the stories they could tell!

The tower up on the hill outside the studio on Radio Lane has provided transmissions for decades – 70 years, come May 1 when the station came on the air.

And those presses, which produced so many editions of the Henderson Daily Dispatch over the years, have long ceased their operations. The newspaper remains, although “Henderson” and “Daily” have been dropped from the mast head in favor of “Serving Henderson, Vance County and surrounding areas since 1914.”

News gathering has evolved since the tower was installed and that press spat out newspapers, and the longevity of local media in the Henderson area is due, in large part, to these two media outlet mainstays.

John Charles Rose sat down with Dispatch Editor Gary Band to chat about the old days, but also about the importance of healthy community journalism.

Chronicling the history of local media will be featured in this year’s edition of Envision Vance, a publication of the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce, Band said.

He doesn’t want to “scoop” himself, but Band did say he’d spoken with longtime reporter David Irvine. About what, we’ll learn when Envision Vance is published. Print date is May 31, Band said.

Change is inevitable, and local media is no different. The Dispatch, once a family-owned business, was bought by Paxton Media in 1994, Band said. He came on board in June 2023, and the only office he’s known is the current one on Garnett Street. He actually never visited the former office at the corner of Chestnut and Pettigrew streets, where reporters cranked out stories on manual typewriters, then electric ones, until computers came along. He never stared into “Big” Bill’s office, where stacks of newspapers and other paper filled every nook and cranny and where the paper’s editorials were crafted.

Communities rely on local media outlets to get news that’s important to them – the larger stations and newspapers carry the “big” stories, but it’s the local journalists who inform the community about what’s happening at the City Council meetings or what the commissioners talked about in their work session.

Band said it’s the job of local media “to hold up a mirror to the community.” There’s so much going on here, he added, and there’s no way for a small staff of writers to be everywhere all the time to report all the news.

“I always think I can do more and better,” Band said. And although he’s relatively new to the area, he’s worked for close to 30 years in journalism, so he’s picked up a thing or two along the way.

“You have to be out there…present. You have to love it,” Band said. He plans to continue to help Paxton put out a quality publication and to continue being a critical part of this community.

Reporting the news is critical to inform citizens, Band said. Informing them leads to citizens being more engaged in the life of the community, “more inclined to take part.”

The media, whether it’s print or radio, has an obligation to be a solid, trustworthy and reputable source for news, Rose said. Journalists separate the fact – verifiable, accurate information – from hearsay.

“This is a vibrant community with a long, proud history,” Band said. “We’re going places…things are starting to happen.”

And when they do, you can count on coverage in the pages of The Dispatch and on the airwaves from WIZS.

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Guardians of the Grid: Duke Energy Celebrates National Lineworker Appreciation Day April 18

Electricity is essential to everyday life – keeping households cool in summer and warm in winter, the lights on and the computers humming. It’s a complex system of transmission wires above ground and below that keep journeyman lineworkers like Cameron Beck busy on a routine day, never mind after storms or other events that interrupt electricity service.

Beck works with Duke Energy and spent about eight years covering the Henderson area. He and other lineworkers got some special recognition at Duke Energy’s Lineworker Appreciation Day, observed on Friday, Apr. 18.

There are always routine maintenance tasks to complete, Beck said on Monday’s segment of TownTalk. Poles to change out, or maybe an aging transformer that needs to be replaced.

Lineworkers “have to keep the grid running with maintenance, adding new things and serving customers,” he said.

Running power lines to new businesses or a new home under construction is all part of the job.

“We put holes in the ground and string wires to provide a path to electricity where it needs to go and take care of the ones that are there,” he said, with more than a little humility.

Lineworkers have to be ready to be called up in emergency situations, too – whether a pole and wires come down because of a hurricane, a thunderstorm or perhaps a car crash – the reason is secondary to the immediate task of restoring power.

He was among a staging team sent to upstate South Carolina in advance of Hurricane Helene’s arrival to the western part of North Carolina and surrounding areas.

“Helene was a very surprisingly damaging storm,” Beck said, “something that I didn’t expect…I thought it was going to be a little wind and we’d be home in a day or two.” But there were so many downed trees, so much more devastation, he said.

“I was shocked by the devastation, mainly from wind and water,” he said of subsequent visits to western North Carolina where he has family and friends. “I couldn’t believe what it had taken away. It will be a very long time before it gets back to normal.”

Lineworkers are a closeknit group, Beck said, much like police officers and firefighters, it’s a profession that relies on teamwork and camaraderie to get the job done and to make sure everyone stays safe.

“If you’re a lineworker, you share some common experiences and you have a common respect for each other,” he said.

As for safety, he said he’s proud to work for a utility company that puts an emphasis on safety, equipment and training.

“We don’t want to think about things that could go wrong, but that’s the way we keep things from going wrong,” Beck said.

Whether it’s routine work or power restoration after a storm, lineworkers review the basics: hazard analysis, talk about the conditions and other potential challenges that could arise when they’re in the field.

In storms like Helene, they’re at the mercy of the elements, he explained. It could be really hot, or really cold, or rainy – less than ideal. And if you’re part of a crew responding to a disaster like Helene, you may not be familiar with the area or the way the lines are fed – all challenges that must be addressed and dealt with before the work can really get underway.

Beck recalled one night driving home after a busy shift – a summer thunderstorm had blown through, and he was ready to be home. He was almost home when “I see the sky light up with blue,” he said. Just around the next curve, he saw what had lit the sky blue. A tree had taken the lines down, he said, and several spans of wire, poles and cross arms were strewn in and beside the road.

If he’d been traveling just a little faster, he’d have been caught under the tree and the downed lines.

“I knew what had happened before dispatch knew,” he said.

As with any work done during or after a storm, lineworkers must keep one eye on weather conditions as they attend to the task at hand.

“You try to work safely and quickly and get away from there,” he said.

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Kittrell Tent Revival Coming Up April 27th-30th

The 3rd annual Kittrell Tent Revival will begin a 4-night run beginning Sunday, Apr. 27, and organizers have lined up preachers and music for each night that’s sure to be inspiring.

The revival is getting bigger and better each year, and organizers are looking forward to this year’s event, which will be held at 27 W. Main St., Kittrell – just across from the Kittrell Fire Department.

As the flyer states, the revival is organized by “one group for one purpose, to lead people to Christ.”

Enjoy free hotdogs beginning at 6 p.m. on Sunday and then stay for the evening program that will feature Renita Timberlake and the Revive Church of God Choir. The revival continues through Wednesday from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Here’s the schedule for the rest of the revival:

  • Monday, Apr. 28: Jason Brown will be the speaker, and the Freedom Life Choir will perform.
  • Tuesday, Apr. 29: Jayden Watkins will be the speaker, and Unashamed will provide music.
  • Wednesday, Apr. 30: Paul Faucette will be the speaker, and Grace Ministries Choir will provide music.

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TownTalk: Warren Farmers Market Opening Day Saturday, Apr. 26

The Warren County Farmers Market opens Saturday, Apr. 26 and judging from the volume of phone calls Tamara Small has been getting from curious customers, it won’t be a moment too soon.

People are looking forward to starting their Saturday mornings at the farmers market, Small said. She said it’s a great atmosphere, with vendors’ produce and other goods under pop-up tents dotting the parking lot of the Warren County Health Department on Ridgeway Street.

Small said the farmers market folks are fortunate and grateful to have had that central location to set up shop, but next year the market will be located at its new permanent location just a block or two up the road.

The engineering firm that’s been working on the project expects the new farmers market to be ready in March 2026. Passersby can expect to see some groundbreaking and construction work as early as June or July, she said.

Until the new market is ready, Small said residents can stop by the health department parking lot on Saturdays between 8 a.m. and 12 noon to pick up local produce and other products like eggs, honey, local beef and pork and so much more.

“Everything comes together beautifully,” Small said. “It is hard work, don’t get me wrong…

but it always ends up being beautiful.” She recalls only one rainy market day last season, and she hopes fair weather prevails this season, too.

Many vendors are returning from last year, but there will be some new faces in the mix, too.

And thanks to a $10,000 grant from Triangle North Healthcare Foundation, senior adults can take advantage of Double Up Food Bucks again this year.

Visit the market manager’s info table on market day to get signed up for the program.

“We’re putting more food on people’s plates” and increasing access to healthy, nutritious local food, Small said.

You’ll find Small on market days taking photos to post on the market’s social media platform as one way to get younger people’s attention.

“Hey, we’re here and we’re a great place to shop,” she said. “I want to show people this is the place to be,” Small said. Vendors interact with customers and answer their questions, which builds community and strengthens relationships, she added.

In addition to familiar vendors, customers can look for new vendors that include Happy Chaos Homestead and Coley’s Vegan Treats, among others.

Special Opening Day activities include live music a 10 a.m. butterfly release to raise awareness about the importance of pollinators and there will be a special stationary exercise bike with a paint attachment for people to “pedal paint” butterfly pictures.

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TownTalk: Of Henderson, By Henderson, & For Henderson

This is John Charles Rose of TownTalk and WIZS Radio. I am of Henderson, by Henderson and for Henderson. Are you?

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TownTalk: Henderson City Council Meeting Information

Although city revenue collections are lagging behind projected rates at this time in the fiscal year, Finance Director Joey Fuqua told the Henderson City Council on Monday that work on the recommended FY 2025-26 budget is coming along and should be ready for to present to Council at its May 12 meeting.

Roughly 28 percent – about $2 million of a projected $8 million – from a category called “various revenue – has been collected so far. Responding to a question from Council Member Garry Daeke, Fuqua explained that the category includes a number of different licenses and fees paid to the city.

Water revenues are at 55 percent and sewer revenues are a bit lower at 48 percent.

“The impact of the cyberattack has seriously impeded our ability to capture real-time numbers,” Fuqua said, referring to an apparent computer bug that forced the city to shut down key computer programs including water bill payments.

Fuqua said his team has been “working diligently” to shore up all of those accounts and get the infrastructure back into place.

Last year’s budget required $4 million from the fund balance, and Fuqua said this year’s budget is “contingent on some very important variables” that should get firmed up in the next week or so when March and April revenues are finalized.

Fuqua said this year’s budget is shaping up to be conservative, with increases due mostly to inflation. There could be a bit of a cushion in the area of capital improvements due to the fact that the city will be retiring several loans.

The Council approved a schedule of six budget work sessions that will take place between the May and June meetings.

A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for Tuesday, May 27 beginning at 6 p.m.

There were a couple of matters before the Council that pertain to the water and sewer system – one involved granting access along Rock Mill Road at Martin’s Creek pump station through an easement to landlocked property adjacent to the pump station.

Another matter involved an application for money from the State Revolving Fund to make improvements at the Sandy Creek lift station and force mains. W.K. Dickson is submitting the application on the city’s behalf but needed the approval of the Council.

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TownTalk: Willard Haithcock Membership Scholarship

Willard Haithcock wasn’t a gregarious person, according to his son Heath. He was quiet and soft-spoken, to tell you the truth. But he loved a good routine, you could count on him being at the Henderson Family YMCA at pretty much the same time every day of the week.

“You could set your watch by him,” he said of his dad, whom he described as the quintessential family man who provided for his wife and children

When Haithcock died in 2021, it made perfect sense to his family to establish scholarships in his memory to give others a chance to enjoy the benefits of the Y that he himself had enjoyed so much.

“My dad was not one to draw attention to himself,” Heath said on Monday’s TownTalk. But as the family considered how to best honor their loved one, a scholarship to the YMCA was what leapt to their minds.

“We wanted his life to stand for something,” Heath said, admitting that if his Dad could weigh in on the matter, he’d most likely call the idea the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard.

His dad instilled in him to treat others the way he wanted to be treated. He taught by example – Willard treated everybody equally, his son said.

“That’s what the Y does,” Heath said. And the family chose to create one scholarship for an individual membership and one for a family membership, he said, because “they YMCA is all about inclusion.”

“He really wasn’t that into fitness,” Heath said. But those daily visits to the YMCA gave his father an outlet to reduce stress, get in a little physical activity and embrace a side of his personality that he may not have demonstrated in his business life.

“It became part of his routine…he was very regimented and routine-oriented,” he said.

He became a mainstay at the Y and Heath said the Y became one of the joys of his Dad’s life.

Sadly, Willard didn’t get to enjoy the benefits of retirement for very long. He died just a couple of years after he sold his business.

“It’s a shame he couldn’t have spent more time doing what he enjoyed,” Heath said.

There is no doubt that he would have stuck to his routine and been a 7-day a week YMCA gym rat.

“It was great that he had that venue and that outlet…to be his true self,” Heath said.

The deadline to submit an application for the scholarships is coming up this Sunday, Apr. 20. Find the application at https://www.hendersonymca.org/.

 

 

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Henderson Teen Missing For Three Weeks

Local law enforcement officials are looking for a Henderson teen, missing now for three weeks.

Maria Guadalupe “Lupita” Dominguez-Galvez, 17, left her home with someone driving a black Ford Explorer the evening of Thursday, Mar. 27, according to family members.

WIZS News spoke with a family member early Friday afternoon who said they still haven’t heard anything from Lupita. HendFact, a local Latino advocacy group, is among other groups supporting the family as the search continues to locate the teen.

In a press release issued Friday afternoon, Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame said the family had reported her missing on Mar. 28. Family members said she left her home between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.

The Vance County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division received the case and are actively investigating. Maria has been entered into the various National Databases for Missing Persons/Children. Law enforcement resources are being utilized, and Federal Agencies have been contacted to assist.

 At this time, there is no information indicating that Maria left involuntarily. Also, there are no suspects, associates, or vehicles known to law enforcement that attributed or are associated with Maria leaving her residence, according to the press release.

She is a sophomore at Vance County High School, local media outlets report.

Sheriff’s Office Maj. William Mitchell told the Dispatch there is no indication the child has been harmed and local LEOs do have some information on her whereabouts and “negative tendencies.” According to investigators, Dominguez-Galvez left a note for her family before exiting her home without her cell phone.

Anyone with information about the teen’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Vance County Sheriff’s Office at 252.738.2200.

TownTalk: Pink with a Passion on April 12th in Warrenton

Look for the rainbow at the 4th annual Pink With A Passion event Saturday, April 12 at the Warren County Recreational Complex.

The theme for this year’s walk is “Walk With Strength: Fight Cancer In All Colors,” making reference to the distinct color assigned to particular cancers – pink represents breast cancer, for example.

As a breast cancer survivor herself, organizer Amena Wilson may be decked out in pink for the day’s activities, but she hopes to see a rainbow of colors represented.

Registration for the walk begins at 9:30 a.m. and the walk begins at 10 a.m, Wilson said.

The official part of the day will take place at 11 a.m., and participants can witness the Tree of Hope ceremony that Wilson says will be a unique experience.

The Tree of Hope, with its twinkling lights, will be a way to remember those who have lost their lives to cancer, as well as a way to offer hope to those facing health challenges. But, Wilson said, it’s also a joyous time to celebrate all those who have overcome challenges and are now in recovery following cancer diagnoses.

It’s a somber occasion, but it’s also going to be a lot of fun for the whole family. Last year’s event brought out about 400 people; this year, Wilson is expecting an even bigger crowd.

A mobile mammogram service is offering 25 free mammograms. Call 877.318.1349 to schedule an appointment or visit https://appointments.invisiondiagnostics.com/appoinment/

to reserve a spot.

“We’ll have a lot going on,” Wilson said. There will be a band and a dj providing musical entertainment, as well as a time to hear testimonies from cancer survivors and take part in a balloon release.

For the kids, there will be plenty of activities, including a bouncy house, face painting and a fire truck with a Smokey Bear character on board.

And let’s not forget the food trucks – Wilson said there will be everything from vegan on up to Southern Soul food on site for everyone to enjoy.

“It’s going to be a day full of joy, a day of celebration,” she said. “We’re so geared up and pumped up and ready to go!”

Bring a lawn chair and expect to have a great time, she added.

To learn more about Pink With A Passion, visit: www.pinkwithapassion.org

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TownTalk: 3rd Annual Community Resource Festival Coming Up on April 16th

Organizers of the 3rd annual Community Resource Festival are proof of just what can be accomplished when folks and organizations come together for a common goal.

More than 100 vendors have signed up to participate in the event, which will take place Wednesday, April 16 at the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the public is invited to stop in to learn more about the businesses, programs, local agencies, nonprofits and more that are located in Vance and Granville counties.

In addition to helpful information, there will be food trucks, giveaways and plenty of time for networking.

Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce President Sandra Wilkerson summed it up this way: Community means together, resources are assets and festival means fun.

Wilkerson joined collaborators Jennifer Cufalo, with the Granville County Chamber of Commerce and Michele Walker, with Huff Consulting, LLC on TownTalk to discuss the event’s origin – and the possibilities it holds for the entire community.

“There’s nothing that makes me happier than collaboration,” Wilkerson said.

And the Community Resource Festival all about collaboration, Walker said. “It’s grown to huge heights,” she said of the festival, which began as an idea simply to gather nonprofit organizations from across the two counties.

As Wilkerson explained, once Walker brought the idea to the Chambers, the idea grew to include businesses and other service-related organizations. Stay tuned, Walker said, because KARTS is working to designate “hotspots” to pick up individuals and transport them to and from the festival. She’ll share more information as it develops.

The local Chamber has been fielding calls about how to participate in the festival, some from people familiar to the Chamber and some she doesn’t know.

“I’m excited to meet them (and) talk to them about what they’re working on,” she said. Part of the mission of the resource festival is to show the community just how much the two counties have to offer – it’s just a matter of knowing the resources exist.

“This festival is just a great way to bring programs and services under one roof,” Cufalo said. Through networking, small businesses nonprofits can join forces with one another to extend their reach into the community. “Not everybody has the same supporters or collaborators,” she said. “That little bit of knowledge you have and be huge for somebody else” to learn.

The Community Resource Festival has looked a little bit different each year, but the common thread she recognizes is the level of communication and sharing of information among businesses and to the public.

“One thing that we have to do – make sure we’re talking to one another. We have to communicate,” Walker said. And who says you can’t do that AND enjoy each other’s company at the same time?

To learn more, visit

https://business.hendersonvance.org/events/details/community-resource-festival-2191

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