TownTalk: Police Report Three People Found Dead In Keene Street Apartment

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Three people were found dead Tuesday night in an apartment on Keene Street in Henderson. One of the deceased individuals, 28-year-old Bakariek Leonard, had been reported missing by relatives earlier in the day. Relatives had not heard from him since Sunday, according to police.

Henderson police responded to a call of “unresponsive persons” at 108 Keene Street, Apartment C, just before 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to a press statement from Police Chief Marcus Barrow.

When they arrived, officers spoke with a family member who had not heard from the resident for two days. The family member had to remove a window air conditioning unit to gain entry to the home because all other entrances were locked.

The residents, Josephine Taylor, 76, and Laura Taylor, 38, along with Leonard,, were found dead inside the apartment. The area medical examiner was called to review the scene with Investigators. The preliminary review of the scene, and canvass of the area, did not indicate any physical assaults or acute injuries to any of the individuals.

The decedents were transported to a medical facility for further examination and toxicology to determine the cause of death.

This incident remains an active investigation, Barrow said.  Anyone with information should call the Henderson Police Department at 252.438.4141.

 

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TownTalk: Domestic Violence Awareness Walk Taking Place This Saturday

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Infinite Possibilities is sponsoring its third annual walk to raise money to support the groups’s work with victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the community is invited to come out and walk the track at Aycock Rec Center on Saturday, Oct. 14 between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Vanessa Henderson is an advocate who works with the nonprofit organization, and she said walkers can register ahead of time or on Saturday morning.

Sponsors and donors are donating $1 for each lap walked, so the more walkers on the track on Saturday, the better, Henderson said.

The money goes toward providing the array of services needed to support victims of domestic violence, whether it’s getting help understanding court processes such as protection orders or restraining orders to personal advocacy that may include creating a safety plan to keep individuals and their families safe, Henderson said.

In addition to assisting clients, Henderson said she also goes out into the community to raise awareness about domestic violence and resources available in the community.

The main office is located at 314 Garnett St., and there also is a location in the Vance County Courthouse. Contact 252.425.8805 to reach the courthouse office. There are two locations in Warren County – one near the magistrate’s office and the other in the courthouse. Call 252.257.1044 to reach someone in Warren County.

Henderson said she has been with the organization for about a year, and said she believes the work is paying off. “Other agencies are referring people to us,” she said. After being in the community for more than 10 years, she said, the organization is becoming better known for the services it can provide.

“It’s good to let the community know that this service is here for them,” she said. “I think the word is getting out pretty good,” she said.

 

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TownTalk: Military History Show Taking Place On October 28

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The 8th annual Military History Show will take place at the Henderson-Oxford Airport later this month, and organizer Harry Coombs said he’s looking forward to another successful event during which attendees can see military hardware up close and better understand what men and women of the military may have endured during their time in combat.

Coombs said he expects a bevy of re-enactors to be on hand for the event, which takes place on Saturday, Oct. 28 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There have been re-enactors, in full military gear, from the Revolutionary War, Civil War, World Wars I and II, among others, he said on Tuesday’s Town Talk.

“It’s the same every year,” he said, “but it’s different every year,” he added, since he doesn’t always know well ahead of time exactly who is going to show up. Proceeds benefit the Granville County Veterans Affairs Committee. The airport is located at 6514 Airport Rd., just over the Granville/Vance line.

One thing that will return, he said, is the popular silent auction. Items are available for viewing during the event, and high bidders can claim a variety of items and services.

And Total Flight Solutions is back once more to provide helicopter rides – just be prepared to pay the ticket price and wait in line, Coombs said. “It’s always very popular.”

There’s no charge for admission to the event, but there is a donation bucket for anyone inclined to “throw some money into the bucket.”

And any student who may be interested in getting some community service hours is welcome to contact Coombs – there seems always to be a need for parking attendants.

Once parked, individuals can see displays of how camps may have been set up, depending on the era in which the war took place. Tents will be set up, and there will be some equipment on display. Re-enactors are available to answer questions as well.

The yellow Navy bi-plane may be on display again this year, Coombs said. A weapons demonstration will be held – firing blanks – and there could be a couple of heavy artillery pieces as well.

So whether you’re a military history buff or want to learn more about military history, mark your calendars for Saturday, Oct. 28. It promises to be an entertaining, educational event for the whole family.

To learn more, contact 919.691.7697.

 

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TownTalk: October Events In Granville County

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It’s a good thing October has 31 days – any shorter, and Granville County wouldn’t be able to fit in all the activities that are planned throughout the county.

Just try to keep up with Granville County Tourism Director Angela Allen as she darts from Oxford to Creedmoor to Butner to promote and attend events all through the month.

There are two ongoing weekly events that happen on Wednesdays in Oxford, Allen told WIZS’s Bill Harris on Monday’s TownTalk. Verdigris Vibe is a chance to enjoy live music from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Oxford Oaks Distillery. If you’d rather sing than listen, head over to The Orpheum on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. for karaoke night.

“These are a chance to get out and about in the middle of the week,” Allen said.

 

Here’s a list of some upcoming events happening across Granville County this month:

  • Granville Little Theater performs the Neil Simon play “Rumors.” Play runs Oct. 13-15 and Oct. 20-22, with evening performances at 7 p.m. and a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. each weekend. GLT – rumors. Neil simon play.
  • Granville Haunt Farm is open on Fridays and Saturdays in October, delighting guests by the carload. Be prepared for a mix of spooky and scary entertainment, as costumed ghouls and characters from iconic movies come to life during the drive-thru experience.
  • Haunt farm. Spooky, scary.
  • Dixon Farm Pumpkin Patch, located on Hwy. 15 south of the I-85 interchange, offers a wonderland of fall activities for children of all ages! The $15 entry includes a pumpkin, as well as access to a giant corn pile, petting zoo, outdoor games and much more. The farm is open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
  • The Orpheum is teaming up with Granville Little Theater for a “live action screening” of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 26 and midnight showings on Nov. 4 and Nov. 10. Get the VIP ticket for a swag bag of props – you’ll be glad you did!
  • Pint-sized ghosts and goblins can trick-or-treat in Oxford and Creedmoor on Halloween. Take the candy stroll beginning at 3 p.m. in downtown Oxford, then head to downtown Creedmoor for trick-or-treating from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

For a complete list of upcoming activities, check out https://visitgranvillenc.com/.

 

 

TownTalk: Around Old Granville: Cemetery Preservation In Warren County

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We’ve probably all seen them dotting the landscape: small cemeteries – fenced or not – that appear to pop up in odd places along the roadside. But there probably many more gravesites that we don’t see in our daily travels – they may be overgrown with weeds, or shrouded in wooded areas well off the road.

Local historian and genealogist Emerson Foster hunts for this type of cemetery. But he doesn’t’ stop when he’s found one – he goes to great lengths to clean it up.

“I see a lot of these graves with headstones falling over and in disrepair,” Foster said on Thursday’s Around Old Granville segment of TownTalk. Along with a handful of his genealogy friends, Foster said they try to right fallen headstones and clean them up.

These are largely family cemeteries, and Foster said he’s located numerous cemeteries in his search for where his own ancestors are buried.

“The last cemetery we went to was the Green family cemetery” in the Snow Hill area of Warren County, Foster told WIZS’s Bill Harris and Mark Pace.

He has relatives that belonged to the Greens that descended from Thomas Edward Green, he said.

As the older members of a family die off, Foster said, the locations of some of these family cemeteries gets lost, so Foster relies on information from relatives or others who may live near a cemetery to help him locate them.

The Green cemetery has 35 graves, five of which were where children are buried. But there was only one marker with the name “Davis,” he said. “Everybody else is marked with field stones.”

Undeterred, Foster used death certificates to confirm which people are buried in that particular cemetery. The death certificates contain names, dates of birth and death – and where the body was buried.

“They all said ‘buried at Green family cemetery,’” he noted.

He located another cemetery after speaking with a woman who lives across the road from where he suspected the cemetery to be. “She pointed us in the right direction. We just kept walking until we found it – it’s deep in the woods,” Foster explained.

He’s been at this for four or five years, and he said he always looks forward to the fall – that’s prime walking-in-the-woods-weather – fewer bugs, too.

These sometimes forgotten cemeteries often are on private property, so Foster recommends trying to locate the owner and request access to the property.

“A lot of these older cemeteries that are way out in the woods, (the landowner) is not even aware that there’s a cemetery there,” he said.

 

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TownTalk: Masonic Home For Children’s Homecoming Oct. 14

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The Masonic Home for Children in Oxford Homecoming gets underway next weekend and organizers have planned plenty of activities for the community to enjoy.

Gene Purvis is vocational counselor for MHCO and he said the homecoming festivities give alumni a chance to come back to campus for a visit, but it’s also a time for others to tour the campus while enjoying live music, crafts, food and more.

The fun begins in earnest on Friday, Oct. 13, Purvis said on Wednesday’s TownTalk, with a charity golf tournament that alumni sponsor each year. That tournament will be held at South Granville County Club, he noted.

Later that day, as the barbecue teams begin setup for Saturday’s competition, Purvis said the grounds will be open for a “yard party,” a little food and a little music to ease into the next day’s full schedule of events.

“Saturday is the Big Day,” Purvis said. The opening ceremony kicks things off Saturday at 9 a.m., then it’s time to enjoy activities, carnival rides for the kids and a marketplace filled with handcrafted items created by the children who reside in the cottages on campus.

By 11 a.m., though, you should find a good spot along College Street or along the campus’s main driveway to get the best view for the Community and Shrine Parade.

Other main attractions include the two bands scheduled to perform, Purvis said.

At 12:30 p.m., the band 20 Ride takes the stage, followed by Nationwide Coverage from 2:45 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.

One of the vocalists of this Nashville, TN band is Oxford native Marsha Hancock Matthai, Purvis added.

The children’s home has been in operation for 150 years, and over the years, Purvis estimated that close to 11,000 children have spent time at the residential facility – some for a short time and others for much longer periods.

The home operates almost completely on private donations. “We are almost 100 percent dependent upon donations to keep the programs going here,” Purvis said. “It’s imperative that people do reach out and support in various charitable ways – through items or funds.”

View the full schedule of the Oct. 14 events at

https://mhc-oxford.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Copy-of-MHF-Schedule-of-Events-2023.pdf

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TownTalk: Purr Partners Preps Black Cat Bash Fundraiser

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Purr Partners, a Franklin County-based feline rescue and foster organization, is hosting its Black Cat Bash on Saturday, Oct. 14 to raise money for its ongoing efforts to provide medical treatment and homes to sick and adoptable cats.

Founder and president Lawanna Johnson said the nonprofit has been “absolutely swamped” with sick and injured animals. Johnson points to the COVID-19 pandemic for the surge in unwanted kittens and cats. Spay/neuter clinics were adversely affected by the pandemic, she said. “We’re still feeling the effects – we got set back about 20 years,” Johnson said on Tuesday’s TownTalk.

The Black Cat Bash is the group’s largest fundraiser of the year, and Johnson said Purr Partners will need every penny it can get to further its efforts. This is the third year for the fundraiser, which Johnson said was interrupted by COVID and then resumed in 2022. The fundraiser will be held at Campbell Lodge, part of the Durant Nature Center, located at 3237 Spottswood Street off Gresham Lake Road in Raleigh.

Tickets are $50 and include a catered dinner from Milton’s, a full dessert bar and one drink ticket.

Johnson said she hopes folks decide to wear costumes and be in a costume contest during the event. There will be a selfie booth for snapping silly photos and the band Reelin’ in the Years will provide music for dancing. And WIZS’s own Bill Harris will emcee the event, which will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

There’s an online auction open now through Oct. 14; visit https://www.purrpartners.org/black-cat-bash-2023/ and click on the Black Cat Bash tab for details about buying tickets and signing up to bid on auction items.

The kitten “season” usually runs from April through November or December, Johnson said, and Purr Partners can have between 200 and 250 cats in its care. During that time. “Once kitten season slows down, our number will drop to 100 or 120,” she said.

She said she gets about 100 phone calls or emails each week from people “begging for help. Sometimes, there’s just not an answer,” Johnson said.

The Black Cat Bash proceeds will go to pay vet bills and “to save cats and kittens that come to us in varying forms of distress,” Johnson said.

 

 

All Four Candidates for Henderson Mayor on TownTalk

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The following is part of WIZS’s continuing coverage of the Oct. 10 municipal elections in Henderson. The four mayoral candidates spoke with WIZS News recently in separate interviews which were recorded and aired from 11 a.m. to 12 noon Monday during a special TownTalk segment; hear the 15-minute segments in their entirety at www.wizs.com.

 

The four candidates vying for the office of mayor have differing viewpoints of Henderson, but they share a common positive outlook about what the future holds for the city they each hope to lead.

With the election now just a week away, city residents are closer to learning which candidate  – Sara Coffey, Melissa Elliott, Greg Etheridge or Jason Spriggs – will take the reins in December.

Coffey, Elliott and Spriggs currently sit on the City Council; Coffey would retain her seat if she is not successful in her mayoral bid, but Elliott and Spriggs each decided to forego re-election bids in favor of running for mayor. Etheridge, a newcomer to local politics and running for elected office, said he’s hopeful for the city’s prospects, no matter the outcome of the election. He and others outside the early voting location have formed friendships and connections while they show support for the local candidates.

“It really is about relationships,” Etheridge said. “You’re running a campaign and there’s going to be an outcome,” but everyone wants “the same thing – a better city.”

The current council and city leaders have promoted revitalization efforts in and near the downtown area as plans for making Henderson a stop on the S-Line commuter rail line take shape.

For Spriggs, the return of the train to downtown Henderson is exciting. “It’s an expensive, extensive process,” he said. It’s going to be a big deal not just for the local access to rail travel, he said but also because of the new development rail access is expected to generate.

Spriggs said proposed housing developments could bring more than 1,000 new homes for people – that’s a win-win for the city, he said, noting the need for more affordable housing and boosts to the tax rolls that new home construction will bring.

One project that Coffey continues to work on involves putting new houses in established neighborhoods. The ongoing effort to remove dilapidated houses is part beautification, part affordable housing, Coffey said. She’s in discussion now to get prices for putting up “tiny homes” on these vacant lots, she said. Once she’s gathered all the information, she said she will present the plan to the full Council and city manager. “I think that’s going to work out to help our people quite a bit,” Coffey said.

Elliott said she has spent some time in neighborhoods knocking on doors to talk to residents about her candidacy. “I’m just excited,” she said, for meeting new people in the community who are choosing to live in Henderson. “In certain parts of the city, the citizens have an image of what they want to see.” Folks on the east side want something done about gun violence, Elliott noted. On the west side, it’s more about streets and infrastructure.

No matter the concerns she hears or who voices those concerns, Elliott said her cumulative experience in the community puts her in a position “to help not one population, but all…I’m the conduit to help our community grown in a positive way.”

For Etheridge, it was the Gate City shooting in 2022 that got his attention. “There were a lot of discussions, town hall meetings…a lot of conversations about the perception of crime in Henderson (and) how that feeds into and impacts all parts of life here,” he said.

There are outside resources that can provide help in the form of grant money and task forces, but Etheridge wanted to know “What can we do tomorrow with the resources that we have?”

For him, that answer began with making neighborhoods safer using the current municipal code.

There was lots of noncompliance, he said. “That seems to me like a natural place to start, for the sake of improving public health and safety and well-being.”

His time as a Council member, Spriggs said, has given him an opportunity to “do something a bit more special for Henderson because this is home,” he said. As mayor, he said he would be blind to race, gender – “the things that make us all different” – to move the city forward.

“Henderson needs to be known as a city that’s welcoming, where black and white work together,” he said, to set an example for younger voters and candidates.

Elliott said voters should check their ballots for the best candidate. “Racism is just not helpful to grow a community forward,” she said.

For Coffey, growing a community means having adequate, appropriate housing available for residents. “Everybody in this city deserves equal treatment,” she said, “able to afford (and) live in a nice home.” Landlords should be held accountable for the condition of the houses they rent, she said.

Adequate, affordable housing certainly plays a role when prospective businesses come to town, Etheridge said. “I think Henderson gets a lot of first looks,” he said. “We may not get a second look, though.”

And that’s where he, as mayor, would step in, “highlighting all the things about Henderson that we know and love,” assuring those prospective investors “that we’re making progress on issues so they feel more comfortable, whether that’s living or working here.”

City leaders must present a unified front “to make it clear to the outside that we’re the place where people want to come retire, work and settle,” Spriggs said. He said his experience in the public sector and his accessibility in the community are positive notes in his bid for mayor.

Running for mayor was “worth the risk to step out and present a unified front” for Henderson, he said.

Elliott said collaboration is a key component to Henderson’s future. “We’ve got to collaborate to get a broader reach…to make (Henderson) a better place to live, work and play.”

Coffey said she continues to work for all the citizens of Henderson and said her experience dealing with people from all walks of life in her business and political life put her in a good position to be mayor.

“I have always looked at the mayor’s position as a “star on top of the Christmas tree” kind of thing,” she said. “I would be honored to have that position.”

 

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Terry Garrison

TownTalk: Black Leadership Caucus Endorses Candidates For Oct. 10 Municipal Election

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The following is part of continuing coverage on the upcoming Oct. 10 nonpartisan municipal elections in the City of Henderson:

 

The Henderson-Vance Black Leadership Caucus held a candidate forum recently and has announced their endorsements for the upcoming municipal elections, now just a couple of weeks away.

Terry Garrison is president of the caucus and he spoke with WIZS News about the Sept. 7 candidates’ forum; his interview was aired on Thursday’s Towntalk.

The caucus voted to endorse the following candidates:

  • Mayor: Melissa Elliott
  • Ward 1: Geraldine Champion
  • Ward 2: Janice Ward
  • Ward 3 at-large: Michael Venable
  • Ward 4 at-large Tami Walker

 

“We certainly are appreciative to each one of the candidates,” Garrison said, “and their willingness to serve.”

The endorsement process was not easy, he said. “The forum, without a doubt, was a big part of that process, but also the members’ familiarity with candidates was also a factor.”

Ultimately, Garrison said it came down to which candidate the caucus members felt best represented their interests and the interests of the city of Henderson.

“Race…was not a driving force with endorsements made by the caucus,” he said; rather, “the way the candidates responded…they were the kind of responses they wanted to hear,” Garrison noted.

“All of the candidates gave a good response, and it was not an easy decision (or) an easy choice,” he said.

According to Garrison, more than 90 percent of the candidates that the caucus has endorsed in past elections have won their contests – at least in Vance County. They may not have won the overall state or national election, but they’ve carried Vance County.

“But we have also endorsed candidates who have lost – it’s not a slam dunk,” he said.

He encouraged all the candidate to continue to “campaign hard and the best candidate will win.”

He also encouraged everyone to come to the polls and cast their ballots.

“If people don’t vote, they don’t have a voice,” he said, “because they didn’t participate in the process.”

Garrison said he is optimistic that whoever gets elected will have the best interests of the community at heart. “I have hope for America and this state,” he said. “Despite our differences, we share one thing in common – we are all human beings. Underneath the skin, the blood is the same.”

 

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TownTalk: Night Out Against Crime Tuesday, Oct. 3

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Local law enforcement officials are hoping to see a big turnout at the upcoming Night Out Against Crime, and they join event organizers who have planned a bevy of activities and fun for the whole family.

Come on down to Breckenridge Street on Tuesday, Oct. 3 between 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. to take part in this annual event. Planning committee Lora Durham said law enforcement agencies from the city and the county will be on hand to help provide a positive interaction with the residents they serve. Durham, along with Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame and Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow, were guests on Wednesday’s TownTalk segment to spread the word about next week’s event.

“This is nothing but a positive thing,” said Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame. The event is designed to heighten awareness and have the community come together to learn more about how to make their neighborhoods safer.

Brame said he and Barrow enjoy a positive working partnership, and he wants citizens of the city and county to work in partnership, too.

Barrow said the Breckenridge Street location, just a few steps from his own office at the police department,  is a perfect fit to host the event.

“That one section has turned out to be one of our best locations to have events for the City of Henderson,” Barrow said. “It’s easy to cordon off and have any event we want. National Night Out is one of those events.”

Things kick off with remarks from Henderson Mayor Eddie Ellington, local law enforcement leaders and others. Henderson and Vance County have participated in the National Night Out event since the mid-1990’s.

“The community does care about crime,” Durham said. “We want to prevent it as much as we can…This is a good, safe event where people can bring their children,” she said, adding that it also is an opportunity for people to learn more about keeping themselves and their neighborhoods safe.

“It’s gonna be a fun night,” Durham said, adding that children and grownups alike will have a “fantastic time.”

The Clearview Church Praise Team will offer a musical selection during the opening ceremony, and then later a DJ will play music as participants enjoy free food – hotdogs, chips and drinks while they last – and Kona Ice – the truck will be on hand providing free ice cones for the first 200 people.

City and county agencies will be on hand to provide information about the services they provide, including animal services, fire and rescue personnel, and other community agencies such as Crime Stoppers, Vance County Schools, Vance-Granville Community College.