TownTalk: Innovation Opportunities Open for All at VCS

/by

(Be sure to scroll down for information flyers.)

Families today have many choices when it comes to the type of school their children attend, and Vance County Schools offer several options to make sure the district’s students go to the school that fits their needs.

With National School Choice Week being observed Jan. 26-30, the principals of three non-traditional VCS schools are poised to share information with families and students about choosing one of the innovative options that might just work for them.

The application period for one of these three schools – STEM Early High School, Vance County Early College High School and Vance Virtual Village Academy – opens on Monday, Feb. 2 and ends on Friday, Feb. 27. Dr. Destiny Ross-Putney, VCS chief officer of instruction and innovation, said prospective applicants should plan to dedicate a good half hour to filling out the application, because they will be asked about particular courses they’re interested in taking and any special interests they may have. There may be a request to submit some written responses to questions as well.

The application goes live on Feb. 2, said VCS Chief Officer of Communication & Innovative Support Aarika Sandlin. Parents and students can find the application at the VCS website, https://www.vcs.k12.nc.us/.

Once the application window has ended, the selection process begins. Decisions will be mailed out by Mar. 23, Sandlin said.

Vance County Early College Interim Principal Dr. Tim Hall encourages parents with rising 9th graders to consider the Early College, located on the campus of Vance-Granville Community College in Henderson.

“Don’t assume that this isn’t for your student,” Hall said. “We’re here to expand access,” Hall said. “The Early College is a life-changing, transformative experience.” Teachers and staff emphasize high expectations but also provide support students need in areas that include time management, study habits, effective communication and self-advocacy.

It’s a place for students who want a smaller high school environment, where they can forge stronger relationships and where they can earn college credits.

Early College students enter at 9th grade and can not only graduate high school but can earn up to two years’ college credit in five years’ time.

The Early College open house is scheduled for (Feb. 4 because of weather delays). (Edited from original post.)

The open houses for the two other innovative options also take place on Feb. 4, both at the Center for Innovation from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

That’s where STEM Early High is located, and principal Jessica Austin said the sixth, seventh and eighth graders who attend this school have the opportunity to earn high school credit before setting foot on a high school campus.

The COGNIA-accredited school provides students access to curricula above their grade level, all in a fun and engaging atmosphere. Regular Club Days allow students to “dig into their passion projects,” Austin said, and expose students to career opportunities that involve Science, Technology, Engineering and Math – STEM.

The middle and high-school students at Vance Virtual Village Academy find an online option best suits their needs, for a variety of reasons. Principal Dr. Jeff Batten said upperclassmen can take classes at Vance-Granville Community also, making college credits accessible to them as well.

Each school has videos and other information on their respective websites, and Ross-Putney said that’s a good way to learn more before attending one of the upcoming open house events.

Sandlin said, “I strongly encourage our community as a whole to take advantage of the school visits.” They provide an opportunity to not only meet the school principals, but also to see what the school building looks like and feels like – to really understand what the space is about.

“Delve into that,” she said, “(by) going to see it for themselves to make sure this is a fit for your child.”

Batten said his school has a wide variety of students who, for whatever reason, find a place at V3A. One student travels extensively with his parent. Virtual classes work. Another student wanted to graduate a whole year early and was able to double up on classes to achieve his goal. And there are opportunities for students to come to a physical location to get help a couple of times a week when they need it, Batten said.

Austin said the teachers at STEM Early High offer intentional STEM exposure and accelerated coursework to allow students to get real-world experiences to prepare them for future careers.

“Not all of our students come in ready,” Austin said. “They have gaps, just like all students. We pride ourselves on being able to reach students in our small setting and being able to help them grow.” By the time they finish eighth grade, the gaps are filled and, in some cases, they’re halfway to being a sophomore in high school.

Hall said he is most proud of the transformation he sees among the students at the Early College.

“Students come in unsure of themselves, (and) over time, they become the type of people who can manage college expectations, communicate with instructors, advocate for themselves and lead…this shift is powerful.”

(This information and audio was originally broadcast and posted Thursday, January 22, 2026.  Please look below for an updated flyers from Vance County Schools as of 01-27-26.)

CLICK PLAY!

TownTalk: City’s Water Customers Asked What Their Service Lines Are Made Of

/by

Water customers of the City of Henderson received notices recently requesting assistance in identifying the material that their service line – the line that comes from the water main and brings water to the residence, dwelling or business – is made of.

The notice is not, city officials have said, a statement about contaminated water; rather, it is fulfilling a requirement of the Environmental Protection Agency to notify customers of risks associated with pipes made of lead or copper.

The notices read in part, “Our records indicate that part or all of the water pipe material (called a service line) connecting your property to the main is made from UNKNOWN MATERIAL.”

Customers can help by adding information to the city’s records to compile a complete inventory of the service lines.

To help determine the material of your service line, contact leadandcopper@henderson.nc.gov.

“It has come to the City’s attention that someone posted a picture of a letter that is going out to citizens next week for Lead and Copper,” city officials stated on the city of Henderson’s Facebook page in response to information that had appeared elsewhere on social media posts.
“Included in this post was a notice that the City’s water is contaminated. We assure you that is not the case. The City’s water is safe to drink. The Lead and Copper letter…is mandated by the State to be sent out every year. It is the same letter as last year.”

According to the notice that water customers received, they’ll continue to get the annual notice until the service line material is identified

For that reason, the city is asking water customers to help complete the inventory of service line and to share the information about the health effects of lead in the environment.

The notice also includes some basic steps individuals can take to reduce lead in drinking water, from cleaning faucet aerators regularly to using water filters specifically designed to remove lead from drinking water.

EPA has developed an online step-by-step guide to help people identify lead pipes in their homes called Protect Your Tap: A Quick Check for Lead.

This guide is available at www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/protectr-your-tap-quick-check-lead.

 

CLICK PLAY!

Photo Search: Armed Forces Members Killed In Action Since Formation Of Vance County

/by

UPDATE: TUESDAY, JAN. 20, 2026

A subcommittee of Vance County’s America 250 group is in the process of collecting photos and information for the 124 individuals who hailed from Vance County and were killed in action in service to their country.

The plan is to have banners placed throughout the downtown area by Memorial Day this year. So far, everything is going along on schedule, but the committee is enlisting the help of the community as it continues to search for photos of the fallen heroes.

To date, 58 photos have been obtained, leaving 66 yet to be located. Each banner will feature the name and photo of the individual, as well as a QR code to learn more information about each person.

Barbara Harrison, who serves as chair of the county’s America 250 committee, also is heading up the subcommittee to find photos of those killed in action.

The America 250 committee is working with the Vance County Historical Society, Perry Memorial Library and others to get the word out about the banners and the photo search.

Below you can access the names of the men from Vance County who were killed in action since the county was established in 1881.

There are 10 names that remain under review to confirm that they were from Vance County, Tem Blackburn said, president of the Vance County Historical Society. Those names under review leaves a possibility that the final list could grow to as many as 134.

The banners will have a QR code on them, that, when scanned, a viewer will gain access to additional information about the individual. The library is the hosting website for the information that the QR code will access.

Blackburn expressed thanks to Patty McAnally and Monica Alston at Perry Memorial Library for their help with the project.

Visit https://www.perrylibrary.org/home and click on the tab ‘America’s 250’ to see the full list, or scroll down in this post.

He said that Tracy Madigan will coordinate with city employees to make sure the QR code on the installed banners can be accessed from street level.

“She going to investigate and do a test run,” Blackburn explained.

••••••••••••••••••••••••

UPDATE: MONDAY, JAN. 19, 2026; Submitted by Tem Blackburn, President, Vance County Historical Society

The Vance County Historical Society is seeking assistance in locating the best available photographs of members of the armed forces who died in armed conflicts since formation of Vance County in 1881 (VCKIA). The photos will be used on street banners and memorial book pages honoring these men.

The street banners will be deployed beginning on Memorial Day 2026 and each year thereafter on Memorial Day. The Memorial Book will be on permanent display at the entrance to the Society’s Historical Museum on the second floor of Perry Memorial Library. A QR code on each banner will link to the Memorial Book page for the VCKIA service member shown on the banner.

The street banners and memorial book initiatives are joint projects of Vance County Historical Society, the Vance County Committee for America’s 250th anniversary celebration and Perry Memorial Library. Both initiatives are being funded by the John William Pope Foundation.

A joint committee of VCHS, VCA250, and PML, chaired by Barbara Harrison, is conducting the photograph search. She also Chairs the Vance A250 Committee and is Regent of the John Penn Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. In announcing the search, Mrs. Harrison said: “We are all excited about this project to honor the sacrifice of local service members since Vance County was formed in 1881. The memorial pages will present information that, in many cases, has not been known about their service and sacrifice, even to family members. The death notices and obituaries frequently provided no more information than the statement that the fallen warrior died ‘in France’ or ‘at sea.’ We now have access to a great deal more information about the specific locations, battles and conditions in which these men gave the last full measure of devotion to our country. The memorial book will formally inscribe them in our county’s memory.”

Perry Memorial Library has created a website hosting an online gallery of photographs of VCKIA located to date and a list of names of the fallen service members for whom no photographs have been located to date. The public, and especially VCKIA family members, are requested to provide photographs of VCKIA for whom no photographs have been located to date. These photos should preferably show the service members in uniform. In addition, anyone with a photograph of one of the VCKIA that is in better condition than those shown in the online gallery on the PML website should also contact the photo search committee using the PML website contact information for the VCKIA Photo Project.

The website can be accessed at: https://www.perrylibrary.org/americas-250/america-250-banners.

The members of the armed forces from Vance County who died in armed conflicts since formation of Vance County in 1881 are listed below. Further details about them can be found on the Perry Memorial Library website.

Oscar Allen Abbott
Ronnie Darnell Adcox
Clarence William Allgood
Huston Hammet Averette
Bennie Ayscue
John David Baker
Robert Lee Baker
George Armitage Ball
William Balthrop Jr.
Rex Baskerville
Robert Vernon Bennett Jr.
Clarence Ray “Billy” Brame Jr
Claude Hubert Breedlove
Lunsford Bernard Brown II
George T. Buchan
Edward W. Bullock Jr.
Thomas J. Bullock
Ernest Vance Bunn Jr
Robert Morrison Byrd
Joseph Cannady
Lee Andrew Cannady
Edward Fenner Capps
Grady Isaiah Carriker Jr.
Luther Monroe Chance
Simon Peter Christmas
Walter Christmas Jr
Charles Beacom Church
William Clifton Clay III
Hill Parham Cooper
Raymond B. Crabtree
George S. Debnam
Dalton James Dixon
Samuel Durham
Elon “Bud” Eastwood
George E. Edwards
Charles Duel Ellington
Warren Pershing Faucette
Ernest Kinnette Fleming
Floyd F. Fleming Jr.
Leon Floyd
Claiborne M. Fuller
Charlie T. Gardner
John Cleveland Greenway
Julian Thomas Greenway
Ellis Bailey Gregg
Edmond Gregory
Grover L. Griffin
Ernest W. Grissom
Thomas Jarvis Grissom Jr.
Sidney Alford Haithcock
Leo Edward Hamlin
Andrew Jackson Harris Jr.
James Clifton Harris
William Brown Harris
Walter Andrew Haskins
Harry Carlton Hedgepeth
Percy Lee Hedgepeth
Charles M. Hester
Carl Clinton Holbrook
Roger Edward Howard
Jessie Lee Huff
Emmett Fenner Hughes
Hugh Hunt
Charles Edward Ivey
Archie Jarrell
Norwood Thomas Jenkins
Clifton Cleo Jones
Fred O’Neal Jordan
Donald Arrington Joyner
Arthur Graham Kelly Jr.
Simon A. Kelly
Claiborne Field King
John Nathan King
Bill Brooks Knight
David Goode Langley
Eugene T. Lassiter
Henry Thomas Leonard
William Liles Jr
Morris Dabney Link
Robert E. Mabry
Henry Elmo Matthews
John H. Mimms
Russell Y. Mitchell
James Clifton Moore
James E. Moore
William Henry Moseley
Claude Edward Mustian
Luther Hammett Newton
Richard Turner Norvell
James Scott Norwood
Thomas Elmo Norwood
Edward Barney Parrish
Alvin W. Peace
Francis B. Peoples
Robert Lee Perry
John Lewis Poythress
Hamit N. Powell
Julius Donald Pritchett
Walter Pruitt
Jasper Davis Pulley
Charles N. Ranes Jr
Robert M. Rideout
Lawrence Jackson Rux Jr.
Graves Morgan Shotwell
James A. Steed
James D. Tarry
Chester Arthur Taylor
Phillip Earl Taylor
John Randolph Teague
William A. Teague II
William C. Vaughan
James Matthew Vernon
Jimmie Walker
Robert Dade Wall
Owen Ashley Wallace
Edwin Goode Watkins Jr.
James Tasker Weldon
Alpheus W. White
Freeman Whitfield Jr
Guy Wren
Wiley Lamon Wright

Click Play for TownTalk Audio!

Board Of Elections Sets Jan. 22 As Date To Hear Residency Challenge In District 4 Commissioners’ Contest

/by

In a meeting Monday afternoon, the Vance County Board of Elections set a hearing date of Jan. 22 at 10 a.m. to consider a challenge lodged by a Vance County commissioner concerning the residency of a candidate who has filed to run for a seat on the board of commissioners.

District 4 Commissioner Dan Brummitt has called into question the residence of Kelley Wade Perdue, who filed to run for the District 4 seat.

“I had some constituents call me with some concerns about where she lived,” Brummitt told WIZS News Monday. Brummitt said after some investigating, “it appears that she does not live at the address that she has listed…there was enough evidence to demonstrate that she doesn’t live in that house. She’s got to provide evidence otherwise,” he added.

Perdue told WIZS that she has been a registered voter in District 4 for years.

“During that time, I voted for Commissioner Dan Brummitt without any questions being raised about my residency. Now that he is being challenged for his seat, my residency has suddenly been questioned. I look forward to working with the Board of Elections. I’m excited to champion a new voice for District 4,” Perdue stated.

Vance County Board of Elections Director Haley Rawles told WIZS that the board of elections will hear from both sides – Brummitt, the “challenger,” and Perdue, the “challenged candidate,” as part of the official proceedings on Jan. 22. The hearing is open to the public and will take place in the commissioners’ meeting room on the second floor of the county office building, 122 Young Ave.

(This information was originally posted January 13th)

TownTalk: Vance Commissioners Retreat Recap – Part 3 – Tax Reval Cycle

/by

The Vance County Board of Commissioners is likely going to consider a shorter time between real property revaluations than the current eight-year cycle.

It’s a move that county staff recommends, and following a discussion at the Jan. 9 annual retreat, it’s something that most commissioners would appear to get behind.

Vance County is one of about 30 counties across the state still using the eight-year cycle – which is the maximum time the state allows. Granville and Franklin counties, for example, currently are a on six-year cycle. By comparison, Wake County undergoes a revaluation every two years; about two-thirds of the state’s 100 counties use either a four-year or six-year cycle.

Many county residents experienced “sticker shock” when they opened their 2024 tax bills. More than 1,400 residents made appeals, according to County Tax Adminstrator Jennifer D. Williams.

Commissioner Dan Brummitt asked how many of those appeals resulted in adjustments to tax bills.” That would be good information to have,” Brummitt stated, expressing criticism about the results of the 2024 revaluation process.

The county contracts with an outside company to conduct the revaluations – it’s a long process that takes a couple of years to complete and costs hundreds of thousands of dollars.  The 2024 revaluation cost was about $892,000 – one reason for the high price tag was because the reval included a full measurement of every single property in the county. That process doesn’t happen with every revaluation cycle, so future revals shouldn’t be as costly, Williams noted.

Another reason the price tag was so high is because the county doesn’t have the personnel in-house to do the work. With one appraiser on the county payroll, it simply isn’t something the county can do itself, and so it must contract with an outside company.

Williams said the N.C. Dept of Revenue and the UNC School of Government recommend having one appraiser on staff for every 10,000 parcels; Vance County has more than 20,000 parcels.

There’s a lot more to the revaluation process than many realize, and, despite efforts to communicate with county residents that the process was taking place, Williams said there was a great deal of “citizen frustration” and “sticker shock” once the bills hit mailboxes.

She said the county disseminated the information in a variety of ways, from putting notices in bills to speaking at events in the community.

“There was at least a two-year ramp-up leading up to a revaluation date,” Williams said, adding that the goal is to inform and educate – “we try to let them know what’s coming…(and) that the assessed value may not always mean an increase (in tax bills).”

Commissioner Leo Kelly said, “I don’t know what the answer is…you just do a little bit of everything” to try to communicate with residents in the most effective way.

Kelly said he would like to see future public information sessions held in the commissioners’ meeting room where county staff could address residents’ questions.

Williams said a six-year revaluation cycle would promote accuracy and improve taxpayer confidence.

Brummitt agreed that it may be time to start a conversation about a shorter revaluation cycle, but he would not be in favor of changing it right now.

“To knee jerk and move to a shorter cycle doesn’t make sense,” he said, adding that the county needs to be prepared for a shorter cycle, but he isn’t ready to introduce that change just yet.

“We’re seeing pretty consistent growth throughout the county,” he said, mentioning the nearby I-885 shortening the time it takes to get to RTP and the increased interest in properties around Kerr Lake thanks to the Microsoft data center near Boydton.

If the revaluation cycle shortens to six years it would be conducted in 2030 instead of 2032. But the county would need to get started in 2028 to get everything in order, Williams said.

CLICK PLAY!

 

Vance County Logo

TownTalk: Vance County Board Retreat Recap – Part 2

/by

The Vance County Board of Commissioners’ annual retreat gives commissioners and county staff an opportunity to exchange information and opinions as they discuss a variety of topics that are sure to come up in 2026.

In the Jan. 9 retreat, there was a lot of discussion about revenues and spending, giving commissioners and staff a glimpse into what likely will be a part of future budget discussions.

In Commissioner Dan Brummitt’s view, it’s less a matter of money coming in than money going out and more about being more efficient when it comes to spending.

“I don’t believe we have a revenue problem,” Brummitt said during the retreat. “I believe we have an expense problem.”

County Manager Renee Perry assured the commissioners that the county doesn’t “just spend money” for the sake of spending. “We don’t have enough revenue to support anything at this point,” she countered.

“We know that we have an issue with revenues. we fully understand that,” she said. Vance County remains a Tier 1 county, along with almost half the rest of the counties in the state, which means it has higher unemployment, lower median salary and lower tax base than Tier 2 and 3 counties.

Personnel take the biggest bite out of the county’s budget, what with soaring insurance costs and even the slightest bumps in pay to try to improve recruitment and retention.

The county has 380 employees and 70 vacancies. Commissioners could opt to cut those vacant positions as cost-saving measures, but the bulk of those vacancies are in the sheriff’s office, detention center and Department of Social Services, three areas that typically experience chronic staffing shortages.

Perry told commissioners she had asked department heads once again not to request any new positions in the upcoming budget cycle, despite the fact that she knows they need the extra positions.

Speaking of personnel, Perry said she would recommend that commissioners consider again for the upcoming budget a 3 percent cost-of-living increase for county employees and put on the back burner – again – implementing the $1.2 million pay study salary increases.

A 3 percent COLA adjustment equals just more than $668,000, and Perry said that’s her recommendation simply because of all the other priorities the county has at the moment.

She would like to see the county consider a performance pay plan in the future, adding that it could start at a flat rate, moving later to a percentage plan.

So, if there’s not enough money coming in to sufficiently cover the county’s expenses, what’s a county government to do? There are a few choices to raise more revenue, including raising taxes.

One option that Perry encourages commissioners to consider is a local option sales tax increase. That requires a referendum for voters to approve.

Right now, the sales tax rate is 6.75 percent, and it could go up to a maximum of 7 percent, which would provide some extra money in the county coffers.

“I do think that this board should have a conversation at some point about getting the max on the sales tax – that would just be my recommendation,” Perry said. “I’m just surprised that we’ve never explored that here in this county…we get good revenues from sales tax.”

Perry predicted that a ¼-cent sales tax increase would translate to as much as $1.5 million in revenues.

Another option would be to raise the property tax rate, and staff has done some preliminary projections about what that could look like, but Perry said she’d hold off on those discussions until budget work sessions take place later in the spring.

If revenue projections are on the mark, the county is expected to add $400 to its tax base this year – $4.8 billion – up from $4.4 billion last year.

Another conversation for later, as the money comes in, Perry said. “That’s what we’re hoping for – that’s what we’re going to talk about in budget work sessions.”

CLICK PLAY!

TownTalk: Sledge Institute Students Get A Close-Up View Of WIZS Studios

/by

Most days, the only folks you’ll find at the radio station are, well, folks who work at the radio station. But today wasn’t most days, as a group of sixth-graders from The Sledge Institute took a field trip to WIZS to get a peek at just how this thing called “journalism” gets done.

Along with their teacher, Christian Salinas, the group of nine students filled the lobby where they got a chance to do a live-to-tape segment that aired on Tuesday’s TownTalk mere minutes after it was recorded.

Afterward, they watched as their teacher did a live interview with WIZS host John Charles Rose to round out segment two.

While the interview was taking place in Studio A, the students squeezed into Studio B and watched through the plate-glass window as their instructor talked about how this journalism project got started.

The Sledge Institute embraces the concept called Project Based Learning, which integrates the curriculum into the creation of some type of product while encouraging collaboration among students.

In the first quarter of the school year, Salinas said the kids expressed an interest in producing a morning news segment, which included making and editing videos and podcasts. When the second quarter rolled around, he decided to shepherd the students on a PBL journalism project.

“The kids got to choose what projects they wanted to take part in,” he said, adding that students create all the different parts of the student news podcast – there are hosts, editors, researchers and interviewers, along with others who focus on a weekly Student Spotlight and Teacher Spotlight.

“My hands were off the wheel and the kids just started over it for themselves, which was awesome,” he said, as the team of students took ownership of the overall project. “The stuff we talk about in it, all the different segments they had – the kids ran that.”

This is Year 1 for The Sledge Institute, a charter school located on Gun Club Road in Vance County. The sixth graders who visited the radio station had nothing but positive comments about their school and teachers.

Vonderion said the teachers are nice and “make us stay on topic,” and Olivia said “teachers help us when we need help and make sure we stay focused in class.”

For Te’ani, it’s all about teachers who “teach us new things every day.” And for Layla, it’s the welcoming feeling she gets, along with the collaboration. “And you learn so much,” she said. “I just love it.”

Nehemiah said, “It’s all about teamwork and working together and working on projects.”

Jorja said her project is coming along just fine. She’s working on a project about good health and well-being and learning about foster care in her ELA/Reading class.

“Right now, we’re doing facts about January,” said Natalie, offering up the fact that garnet is the January birthstone.

Laila reeled off a variety of general topics that are part of the PBL project, including health, waters, equality and good health and well-being.

Sinai said her project is going well, but – spoken like a natural-born editor – she said she can always find ways to improve.

The students seemed naturally curious about what the idea of “journalism” entailed, and they’ve been learning about editing videos and diving into the craft.

Layla said she’s learned that journalism suits her. “Once I figured out what it meant, it’s definitely for me because I love to talk and I love to host things and I love to learn more facts about things because it (will help) me in the future to teach, you know, other kids and help them out while I’m younger.”

Natalie agreed. She said she was excited to learn more about what journalism is and has enjoyed doing videos and interacting with others in the videos.

Olivia said she watches the news every day and likes that she’s learning more about editing.

Te’ani and Sinai also like the editing process, as well as creating stories and learning more about things that are in the news.

The project-based learning model is an integral part of the school’s philosophy and it’s important to incorporate the community when possible. Previous projects have included making a documentary about Kerr Lake, which included a field trip to the lake to explore this important local natural resource. Another project involved a canned food drive for Turning Point CDC. Not only did they collect 10,000 cans, but the students had the opportunity to organize and stock the shelves and get the food ready for distribution.

It’s this type of real-world experience – whether it’s stocking food on shelves, learning about the outdoors or seeing the inside of a real-live radio station – that helps students make connections to what they’re learning in school with how to apply that in the community, Salinas said.

“They’re figuring out or learning that what they’re doing in their classrooms is not just for the sake of ‘you need to know it for a test,’” he said, but “you can use this on a daily basis or for your career.”

CLICK PLAY!

TownTalk: Around Old Granville – National Register of Historic Places In Granville, Vance

/by

Asking local historian Mark Pace to divulge which old house is his very favorite is akin to asking a parent which of their children they prefer: indeed, there may be one, but you don’t want to admit it.

In their discussion of old homes in the area listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Pace singled out Vance County’s Pleasant Hill, softening his pronouncement a bit by saying it’s one of his favorites.

There certainly are a lot of contenders in the four-county area, and WIZS’s Bill Harris and Pace reviewed a number of homes and other structures listed on the National Register in Vance and Granville counties on Thursday’s TownTalk segment of Around Old Granville.

Now known as Rivenoak, the stately old home near Middleburg underwent a restoration in the late 1970’s and gained its National Register status in 1979.

And as impressive as the home is, with its double-shoulder brick chimneys (special-ordered from Williamsburg), and Greek Revival style with Georgian elements, it’s the family that built it and lived there that adds to its significance, Pace said.

The family gained prominence for developing the railroad in the area, and for a period of more than half a century between 1778 and 1848, there was a member of the Hawkins family serving in state government.

Future N.C. Governor William Hawkins was probably born at Pleasant Hill, built by his grandfather, Philemon Hawkins, Jr. Research confirms that at least part of it was built as early as 1760.

And those chimneys, located on either side of the home? “Those chimneys are really impressive,” Pace said. Each chimney is constructed of about 20,000 bricks – that’s 80,000 bricks. All imported from Virginia.

Homes like Pleasant Hill are nominated and then placed on a study list before getting their official designation.

Not all of the structures are homes, though, Harris noted. There are farms, churches, bank buildings and more that share spots on the National Register.

Local history buffs may be familiar with Henderson’s Historic District, which Pace said contains 91 of the county’s 114 historic structures.

As he explained, Henderson was a pretty big deal from, say, the 1800’s to the 1940s and 50s.

“There was a lot of impressive architecture that you won’t find anywhere else in North Carolina,” he said. There were several architecture firms located in Henderson. Steve Flannagan designed First Methodist Church and the original Henderson High School, for example. And the iconic fire station and clock tower? Yep, local architect Robert A. Bunn designed it.

Another local architect, James Thrower, designed the original courthouse. It wasn’t until Frank Milburn designed a major renovation that the columns were added.

So many of the old architectural gems remain today in Henderson’s historic district, a tribute to the community’s interest in preserving and repurposing buildings with historic significance.

Like Pleasant Hill, there are numerous homes dotting the countryside that once were part of huge plantations. Ashland near Satterwhite Point, Machpelah and Pool Rock close to Townsville, and Ashburn Hall near Kittrell are some examples.

Many have been lovingly restored and meticulously maintained over the years, preserving those architectural details that make them exemplars of the periods when they were built.

But there’s one house on the National Register that was neither showy nor huge, but impressive all the same.

During a restoration project a decade or so ago, workers removed some siding from a structure to reveal a log home that was built in the 1760’s. Tests on the yellow pine in the center part of the home reveal they were felled in the winter of 1763, according to information on the nomination form that was submitted in 2014.

Present-day Granville County has its share of historically significant homes and buildings, too, but like Vance County, the northern portion of the county has more listed on the National Register than the southern portion.

The Allen-Mangum house in the community of Grissom in southern Granville County was built in the mid- to late-1800’s. It was one of more than 30 Granville County structures added to the National Register in 1988.

This coincided with the publication of an architectural survey, Pace said, that is still the “go-to” reference book for historic architecture.

Brassfield Baptist Church near Wilton is the oldest church in the county, built in the 1840’s. It’s on the list, as is the First National Bank Building in Creedmoor.

Pace said the Obediah Winston Farm in Creedmoor is on the list because “it was one of the most intact old-timey tobacco farms in existence,” with outbuildings intact to give a true flavor of what tobacco production involved.

Red Hill, on Townsville Road off Highway 15 near the Virginia line, has a few different styles, thanks to several renovations and additions over the years. The oldest part of the house dates to 1776.

There’s Hill Airy, which has been on the register since 1974, part of the expansive Gregory family holdings.

Another one of the Gregory family plantations, Elmwood, is what Pace calls one of the finest Georgian style homes in Granville County. Built it 1850, it had been abandoned for decades.

Pace said he was sure the home was “as absolute goner.” All the interior features had been removed over the years, leaving just a shell of a building.

But thanks to a renovation project, Pace calls it “one of the most impressive historic structures” in the county.

CLICK PLAY!

(This story was originally posted on January 8, 2026.)

TownTalk: Vance County Board Retreat Recap – Part 1

/by

Editor’s Note: WIZS is taking a closer look at the Vance County Commissioners’ annual retreat and will bring you excerpts from the topics that were discussed in upcoming TownTalk segments.

At their annual retreat last week, the Vance County Board of Commissioners spent a good chunk of time talking about money – dollars coming in and dollars going out – and the impact that flow will have on county residents’ pocketbooks.

During the retreat, held Friday, Jan. 9, County Manager Renee Perry said the county capital improvement plan includes repairs to the existing jail, new EMS substation, a new EMS/fire substation and a new detention facility.

All that comes with a price tag – the new jail estimated at $50 million alone – that the county can’t manage without considering some sort of a tax increase.

“We don’t have the revenue to support a debt service on the jail,” Perry explained. Even with USDA funding, she expects the county would be paying at least $2 million a year on a 40-year note – and that’s with a relatively low interest rate of 3 percent. If that interest rate were just a tick higher at 4 percent or 4.5 percent, that amount would climb to more than $2.5 million annually.

Although Perry pointed out benefits of a tax increase – supporting Vance-Granville Community College and social services and creating more competitive pay packages to recruit and retain employees – she acknowledged the negative impact to taxpayers.

“Even a small increase can be burdensome,” she said.

Any tax increase the county decides on would “go directly to capital (improvements) and nothing else,” she emphasized.

At its January 5 meeting, the board approved spending up to $2.9 million on repairs to the current jail, with that money coming from the fund balance. Those repairs are predicted to be complete by November 2026.

A new EMS substation, with an estimated cost north of $2 million, is on the CIP, too. The land has been purchased, and construction costs are going to come from fund balance.

With a projected $10 million price tag, the EMS/fire substation will most likely have to be financed.

Questioned by Commissioner Dan Brummitt about the high cost of the EMS building construction, Perry said, “It won’t be less than a million. It’s not going to be cheap.”

Assistant County Manager Jeremy Jones said the 4,000 square-foot building will include sleeping quarters for eight, as well as bathrooms, a kitchen and a day room.

While basic construction with basic amenities, it will be quality construction. “I don’t want to just throw a building up,” he said.

About all the proposed projects Board Chair Carolyn Faines said, “If we’re going to build, we’ve got to build for the future.”

CLICK PLAY!

TownTalk: H-V Chamber Kicks Off 2026 Programs, Events

/by

When it comes to supporting local business and industry, folks would be hard-pressed to find an organization around here that does a better job of promoting all the positives right here in Henderson and Vance County than the Chamber of Commerce.

And the way Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce President Sandra Wilkerson sees it, a major role of the Chamber is to accentuate the positive while creating lasting connections that strengthen the community.

“We’re motivators,” Wilkerson said on Wednesday’s TownTalk. Chamber members are encouraged to get involved in the community and form those partnerships with others that serve to make everyone better.

“The networking, the people that you meet are going to help you,” she said. “It’s about partnership.”

Leading by example, Wilkerson said the Chamber has teamed up with Vance County Tourism to bring Miss North Carolina 2025 Sophia Kellstrom as the featured speaker at the Jan. 28 Women in Business luncheon.

Registration for the event is $20 for Chamber members and $30 for non-members; call the Chamber office (252.438.8414) and register with Vanessa Jones no later than Jan. 23. The luncheon begins at 12 noon at the Henderson Country Club.

And men, don’t let the “Women in Business” title scare you away – Wilkerson invites you, too!

“We are kicking the New Year off right,” she said of Kellstrom’s visit to Henderson.

“I am thrilled that this young lady has granted us this opportunity to sit down with us and engage,” she continued.

In addition to being crowned Miss North Carolina 2025, Kellstrom founded “Pennies from Heaven” when she was just 8 years old to fight food insecurity among children and is the author of “Sophie the Superhero” a children’s book that encourages kindness and helping others.

Whether it’s presenting events like Women in Business or any number of other events from ribbon-cuttings to Shop With A Cop And Friends, Wilkerson said she and the Chamber staff are grateful and appreciative of the Chamber Board of Directors for the support they provide throughout the year.

Outgoing Board Chair Scott Burwell passes the torch to Dr. Abidan Shah of Clearview Church and Wilkerson said she looks forward to his leadership role.

The new board chair picks out a theme to weave into his or her term, and she’s eager to hear what this year’s theme will be. Whatever the focus, rest assured that it will include a lot of red, white and blue as a nod to the nation’s 250th birthday celebration.

Another popular program in the community is Leadership Vance, now in its 35th year. This program isn’t just for newcomers to the area, Wilkerson said. Lifelong residents who have completed the class have commented about how much they learned during the seven-month long class. Applications must be submitted no later than 5 p.m. on Jan. 27. Find the application and an information brochure on the Chamber website https://www.hendersonvance.org/

“This is one of my favorite things,” Wilkerson said, noting that the selection process has become a bit more competitive. With a cap of 18 participants, the selection committee has an increasingly difficult time each year. And it is a pretty big time commitment for participants – a couple of sessions each month that have the class touring businesses, schools and learning about the county’s history, government and more.

“It’s so much that we introduce you to and make connections,” she said. Two recent Leadership Vance graduates – Sam Seifert and Kenia Gómez-Jimenez – serve on the Henderson City Council.

Leadership Vance can claim at least a small part in their decisions to run for political office, but Wilkerson said the program helps participants see and understand the community and how they can contribute – whether it’s running for a seat in local government or simply knowing where available resources are.

“We have so much positive in this community,” Wilkerson said. “We tend to talk about the negative,” but the goal, she said, is “to go out and spread positivity. That’s the whole thing that we try to do…and it’s working.”

CLICK PLAY!