TownTalk: Around Old Granville: Forgotten Historical Figures
Mark Pace, NC Room Specialist at Thornton Library in Oxford talks about local historical figures that have been forgotten.
TownTalk: Henderson Fire Department Engages With Community
Henderson Fire Chief Tim Twisdale calls it “crew integrity” – it’s the way a group of firefighters establishes and strengthens the bond by learning and by doing together, whether it’s shopping in the grocery store or participating in a training exercise.
One way Twisdale promoted this concept recently was by acknowledging the accomplishments of several firefighters who have received promotions, including Donte Richardson and Jack Wilkinson, two firefighters who have been with the department for just a few years.
Richardson joined the department in 2019, and since then Twisdale said he’s found a career path.
“He’s developed into a good mentor,” Twisdale said, adding that Richardson now wears a white helmet, signifying his promotion to captain.
But Richardson also was recognized as the recipient of the city’s employee of the quarter award and the Optimist award.
Twisdale said Richardson epitomizes the traits of an optimist – always upbeat and looking for the good in all situations – which plays a key role in his abilities to provide training and instruction to other firefighters.
Twisdale said he knew Richardon would be “good at influencing the new generation of firefighters” as he watched the young man obtain various certifications and complete trainings over the past few years.
Wilkinson, who joined the department in 2022, has been promoted to fire engineer, Twisdale said.
Not only does an engineer drive the truck to fire calls, Twisdale explained, but he also “is responsible for the equipment on the truck being in good working order. He’s the person standing beside the truck, moving the levers and making sure (firefighters) are protected” when they’re inside a burning structure.
“He is one of the most relied-upon members of the fire department,” Twisdale said.
Richardson and Wilkinson are among 12 firefighters that belong to one of three shifts – A, B, C – and Twisdale said each shift become like a family, spending 24 hours at the time together as they live, work, train and go out on calls together.
Anyone who thinks that firefighters sit around the station, playing cards all day, while they’re waiting for a call to come in needs to think again, Twisdale said.
Between daily training, EMS calls and more, Twisdale said there’s plenty for firefighters to do on any given shift.
Battalion Chief Lee Edmonds and Capt. Randy Owen recently visited the new assisted living facility Bridges at Parkview to conduct some staff training.
Helping staff learn how to handle smaller emergencies, including general fire safety and safe operation of fire extinguishers, for example, could cut down on unnecessary calls.
Both Edmonds and Owen are working with fire inspections, and Twisdale said both men have proven to be a good fit for the department and for the role they play in the community.
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TownTalk: North Henderson Baptist Church One-Day VBS, Backpack Giveaway Aug. 3, 4
North Henderson Baptist Church has planned two special events next weekend and Pastor Eddie Nutt invites the community to come out and participate.
Nutt joked that he’s trying to keep members of his congregation at church all weekend long, not just in the pews on Sunday but also as volunteers for the one-day Vacation Bible School on Saturday, Aug. 3 and then for the “back to school party” complete with backpack giveaways and a hotdog supper.
The VBS is designed for special-needs individuals and Nutt explained that it’s for all ages. There is no cost to attend the 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. activity, which will include crafts, music, Bingo and, of course, a Bible lesson. The morning will conclude with a meal, he said on Tuesday’s segment of TownTalk.
It’s the first time the church has had a VBS for those with special needs, and it’s an extension of the weekly 9 a.m. service for this population from the community, which Nutt said is “holding steady” with attendance.
“We’ll have plenty of hands-on (from volunteers) to help with crafts, Bingo with prizes for everyone as they learn about God’s love,” Nutt said.
Then, on Sunday afternoon, the church fellowship hall will be abuzz with activity for the back-to-school party, which begins at 5 p.m.
“We’ve had back to school parties for years,” Nutt said, and this year marks the third year for the backpack giveaways. Last year, they gave away more than they had available, but they created a wait list and were able to distribute additional backpacks after making a second run to purchase bookbags and supplies to go in them.
“This year, hopefully we’re prepared for a bigger crowd,” he said.
He does ask that the children who receive backpacks be present at the Aug. 4 event, so Nutt and his church volunteers can share “face to face” the Good News that Jesus loves them.
And be on the listen-out for next year’s “Night To Shine Prom” for special-needs individuals.
It was the first time that the church had hosted the event, so Nutt said they didn’t know how many to expect.
But with between 65 and 70 prom-goers in attendance, along with caregivers and family members who came and stayed for the festivities, Nutt said he was pleasantly surprised at the turnout.
The church applied for, and was accepted, as a site for the February 2025 event, which is traditionally held the Friday night before Valentine’s Day.
North Henderson Baptist Church is located at 1211 N. Garnett St.
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TownTalk: Folwell Discusses Third Party Administration For Health Insurance
As this state’s treasurer, Dale Folwell is the steward of public funds eight times the size of the overall state budget – and that’s only half of what his department oversees.
Folwell has been leading the charge to transition to make Aetna the company that processes insurance claims, replacing Blue Cross NC. This change will take place beginning January 2025.
Folwell will kick off a promotional bus tour across the state to coincide with the upcoming open enrollment period, when individuals typically have the option to make changes in their plans.
The transition does affect members in the Base PPO Plan, Enhanced PPO Plan and High Deductible Health Plan. It does NOT affect Humana Medicare Advantage Plan members.
Health care and retirement are uppermost on the minds of most state employees – “those who teach, protect and otherwise serve,” Folwell said on Monday’s TownTalk.
Think of the transition from one third-party administrator to another like a car, he said:
The car’s body hasn’t changed – individuals will continue to make copayments, etc. to receive care. The engine hasn’t changed – that’s how the state funds the insurance plans. It’s the transmission – how the state settles claims – that will be undergoing the change.
It’s important to remember that Aetna is NOT the insurance provider, Folwell emphasized.
As a TPA, Aetna’s job is to process claims and make sure they’re correct before presenting them for payment.
We’ve always been self-funded, and Aetna, like Blue Cross NC, is simply a “transmitter” to make sure the billing and payment process is smooth and efficient.
If you’ve ever gotten a bill for a doctor visit or medical procedure and have had questions about what you actually owe and what will be covered by insurance, you’re not alone.
Those involved in the transition to Aetna will have to choose a new primary care provider, but Folwell said he’s confident that they’ll be able to keep their current provider without a problem.
“If people are getting the right primary care, and occasionally any physical therapy they may need,” Folwell said, it will help keep people out of hospitals, which is the ultimate goal.
“I continue to think that people are being gouged on health care pricing as well as prescription drug pricing” in North Carolina, Folwell said.
There’s lots going on in health care, he continued. “It’ sad (people) can’t consume health care – it consumes them.”
When people have a higher fear of the bill than the procedure itself, it should be a cause for concern, he said. And action.
Medical bills can be confusing, to the point that you can’t tell if they had a tonsillectomy or an appendectomy.
But it all comes down to paying for the medical care that you get, and Folwell said his department will partner with any hospital interested in transparent health care, high-quality access at a reasonable cost.
The road tour, featuring Aetna-themed vehicles, will kick off in Raleigh at the Department of State Treasurer’s office later this week on Thursday July 25, then will be at the N.C. General Assembly on Aug. 22.
The tour coincides with the Plan’s 2025 Open Enrollment period, which runs from Sept. 30 through Oct. 25.
The Plan and Aetna are ready to meet people in person during the tour, online or by telephone. For those unable to come out in person, the Plan will also be offering numerous webinars and Telephone Town Halls containing the same information as in-person events.
Learn more at https://www.shpnc.org/
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TownTalk: City Of Henderson Approves Social Media Policy
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TownTalk: Welcome Chapel Pastor Celebrates Anniversary With Aug. 4 Service
Welcome Chapel Missionary Baptist Church is hosting a special celebration to mark the first anniversary of its minister, the Rev. Dennis White.
The community is invited to take part in the event, which is scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 4 at 3 p.m.
White was a guest on Wednesday’s TownTalk to discuss details of what will be happening that day. He said any pastoral anniversary is cause for celebration and this one is no exception. “It’s always a drawing card to a church,” he said.
The guest speaker for the occasion will be Rev. Kevin L. Chandler from Trinity Baptist Church in South Boston, VA and the New Sandy Creek Missionary Baptist Church Male Chorus from Keely, VA will perform.
White comes to Henderson from Greensboro, where he founded Faith Walk Baptist Church. The pandemic took its toll on the small congregation, White said, so after 17 years with that church, he accepted the call to Welcome Chapel.
“It was God’s design and God’s plan,” he said. “There’s no better place to be than where God has placed you…I am so excited to be at Welcome Chapel.”
Founding a ministry helped White become a better leader – “I was able to be very involved with every aspect of the ministry…it helped sharpen my leadership skills.”
White describes himself as a humble, faithful, people-oriented pastor. “I love being a pastor and doing it God’s way,” he said.
But he’s also a father – two children and two grandchildren – and a husband – married 32 years – and a counselor by training. Those roles feed into the role of pastor, too.
Having completed a master’s degree in pastoral counseling at Liberty University, White said he considers himself someone who is very approachable to those who seek his guidance. “This day and time, people need counseling in many areas of their lives,” White said.
The church is located at 237 Welcome Ave. in Henderson.
TownTalk: Kerr Tar COG Food Council
To borrow a phrase from the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Government’s Food Policy that was released in 2020, “food is big business.”
And even if you don’t happen to grow, harvest, transport, distribute or sell any type of food product, you at least eat. So food, indeed, is important.
This is the time of year that backyard gardens are bountiful – when’s the last time you had a juicy red slicing tomato? Unless you grew it yourself, got it from the local farmers market or farm stand, chances are it came from somewhere far away.
Charlie Robinette, with AmeriCorps North Carolina, has been working since last fall to strengthen what currently is considered at best a loose network to bolster the region’s food system.
The five-county Kerr-Tar region’s food policy lists six priorities to help the region establish a more cohesive and collaborative approach when it comes to creating a network for sharing resources about food. View the document here: https://www.kerrtarcog.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Kerr-Tar-Regional-COG-Food-Policy-Final.pdf
Robinette oversaw five different listening sessions in the spring – one in each of the five counties represented by the KTCOG – and from those listening sessions, a 15-member Regional Food Council was created.
Robinette, a guest on Tuesday’s TownTalk, said more than 75 individuals participated and came up with about 200 examples of successes, 200 examples of challenges and had some ideas about what should come next.
The Regional Food Council has met a couple of times already and is planning to meet again next week, Robinette said.
Robinette said the food council’s focus right now is twofold: Increasing access to healthy local foods and also increasing market and capital for farmers.
Farmers want consumers to be educated about where their food comes from and what it takes to get produce and more from the field or greenhouse to the table.
But it’s important for those who have different roles in the food chain to at least have a working knowledge of the entire system, Robinette said.
One way to achieve that is to have a centralized location where anyone can find resources. There are plenty of resources in the region, but sometimes it’s difficult to find information.
“We shouldn’t be replicating efforts,” Robinette said. Rather, a centralized location can direct individuals to agencies that already provide the services they’re looking for.
The food policy identified five “milestones” along the path of creating a regional food system. The first two have been checked off – adoption of a regional food policy and creation of a regional food council.
The next milestone involves an assessment of all available resources, cataloging them and identifying gaps in service.
Learn more at https://www.kerrtarcog.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/KERR-TAR-COG-FOOD-POLICY-PRESENTATION.pdf
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TownTalk: NC Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey on Rates and More
Anyone who owns a vacation home or rental property may know the difference between a homeowner’s insurance policy and a dwelling policy. They are two distinct types of coverage, and N.C. Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey has successfully negotiated an agreement that provides for a rate increase of 8 percent for dwelling policies.
The Rate Bureau had requested a 50.6 percent increase, but as the head of what Causey calls a consumer advocate agency, it’s his job to keep an eye on the bottom line to make sure that people who want and need insurance have access to the best information to make decisions about coverage.
“My job is to protect consumers…to make sure they’re getting a fair shake and (insurance) companies are financially solvent so that they can pay claims when needed,” he said on Thursday’s TownTalk.
Although the rates vary across the state – higher rates in counties along the coast and lower in some of the western counties, Vance County’s rate is just over half of that 8 percent level, Causey said – 4.8 or 4.9 percent.
The new rates take effect on Nov. 1.
Renters need to remember, however, that a dwelling policy is for the structure; renters still need to consider renters’ insurance to protect their personal property against, loss, theft or damage.
Causey explained that, as insurance commissioner, he is only able to offer two responses to a Rate Bureau for a rate request: yes or no.
So far, in his 8 years, his answer has always been “no,” which puts the request on a path that involves going to court. The dwelling policy rate request had been scheduled for later this month, but it was canceled when an agreement was reached in May.
“I’ve beem criticized for not going to court,” Causey said, but court cases are expensive and those costs get passed along to taxpayers. The way he sees it, “getting as close to 0 as you can get – that’s much better than going through that court process.”
So far, a request for a homeowner’s insurance rate increase is still on for October. During the required public comment period, Causey said he received more than 25,000 comments – not surprisingly – asking that rates not go up.
“I heard the message loud and clear,” Causey said.
With his consumer advocacy hat on, Causey reminds current policy holders to review their coverage regularly, shop around and choose financially sound companies that will be able to pay claims.
Make sure you ask your insurance agent about deductibles and make sure you ask for replacement value coverage.
“If you don’t have replacement value coverage, you’re not going to be happy with your claim,” he said. Having this type of coverage may cost a few dollars more in premiums, he said, but “it’s worth its weight in gold.”
Oh, and don’t fall for TV and internet ads. Choose local agents with local companies, he said.
Email him at mike.causey@ncdoi.gov, visit www.complaint.ncdoi.gov to file a complaint or phone the department 855.408.1212.
“We’re here to help and that’s the message I want to get out,” Causey said.
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TownTalk: Renee Perry’s First 8 Months As County Manager
Vance County Manager C. Renee Perry has been on the job for eight months, and during that time, she’s had plenty of issues to deal with – filling vacant positions, finalizing the county’s budget and getting up to speed about ongoing challenges involving possible restructure of the fire services, a revaluation and dismissal of a key county official.
For a “glass-half-empty” person, navigating these sometimes choppy waters could be overwhelming. But Perry’s glass seems to always be at least half-full, and when she came on board, she said she was “excited to begin the journey.”
Perry’s first day on the job was Nov. 1, 2023, having been the deputy county manager in Halifax County.
She viewed numerous director vacancies in four county departments not as negatives, but as opportunities to build her leadership team and move forward. One director took another position within the county, another left citing family needs, and others left the county to pursue other opportunities. The finance director, however, was dismissed in February 2024 amid a cloud of suspicion of fraud and other allegations that remain under investigation.
And, one by one, those vacancies have been filled: Budget and Finance director, Animal Services manager, Planning director, Elections director.
On Tuesday, Perry announced that Ferdinand Rouse would begin his role as the county’s economic development director on Monday, July 15.
All the while, Perry was putting together the county’s budget with the added wrinkle of considering results of a property revaluation that occurs every 8 years and guiding commissioners to set a palatable tax rate that would allow the county to continue planning several capital projects, including a new jail, EMS building, 911 call center and more.
And there’s still four months until Perry celebrates her first year of occupying the county manager’s office.
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TownTalk: Medical Arts Named MVP – Most Valuable Pharmacy!
Medical Arts Pharmacy has been awarded the 2024 Dan Moudry Most Valuable Pharmacy award from a national pharmacy cooperative.
Chocky White accepted the award on June 24 during the annual business meeting of the Independent Pharmacy Cooperative in New Orleans.
The IPC has been around for more than 40 years – almost as long as White has been operating as a pharmacist.
He came to Henderson in 1971, fresh out of pharmacy school, and set up shop. What began as a one-man show has evolved into a staff of more than 40, including six pharmacists.
White places a priority on establishing and maintaining good relationships with his customers. “We love interacting with our patients,” he said on Wednesday’s segment of TownTalk. “We feel like that’s the most important aspect of our business.”
Daughter Cara White Kirby, who also is the company’s vice president, said her dad is a stickler for excellent customer service, encouraging – and expecting – everyone on the payroll to over-deliver in that department.
White said Henderson had seven independent pharmacies when he came on the scene. “It was slow growth for me the first 10 years or so,” he recalled. “But I gradually earned people’s support…and have grown steadily over the past 50 years. It’s been my lifetime job and I’ve loved every second of it.”
When IPC reps contacted Cara to make sure her dad would be at the pharmacy when they came to visit, she said it wouldn’t be a problem – if the pharmacy’s open, her dad’s there, she said.
“We knew we were finalists,” she said, “but when they came with balloons and a cake,” she knew something else was afoot.
“I was shocked,” said Chocky. “I thought it was somebody’s birthday.” Cara said there was a whole group of folks filming and taking photos while the pharmacy staff was helping customers and filling prescriptions.
The resulting video was shown at the meeting last month during the award presentation. “They did a beautiful job of showing off our pharmacy inside and out,” Chocky said.
The Wisconsin-based IPC is a network of more than 2,000 members who purchase pharmaceuticals, equipment and merchandise available for purchase at the independent pharmacies.
“We have a very large inventory here,” Chocky said, which benefits customers who need meds or other equipment quickly – even after-hours.
White’s been known to be at the store on nights and weekends – even Christmas Day last year.
“We’re not always open, but we’ll be here if you need us. We do whatever it takes to serve our customers,” he said.
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