TownTalk: The Mission Of Rebuilding Hope, Inc.

/by

For Tom Wille, the message and mission of Rebuilding Hope is simple: The book of Acts calls upon Christians to be the witness in Jerusalem, and to spread the Gospel message.

“Here we are, working in our Jerusalem,” Wille said on Monday’s TownTalk.

As co-director for the past couple of years, Wille said he has witnessed acts of good service to residents in Vance County and beyond. When Rebuilding Hope teams venture out to repair a roof or build a ramp, he said, it changes people’s lives. Ramps make daily living easier to get people in and out of their homes, but that simple act of constructing a ramp also shows them the love of Christ, Wille said.

In 2024, teams installed 205 ramps in homes across five counties. Add to that 16 roofs and a bunch of deck and porch repairs, and Rebuilding Hope is really showing up for their neighbors in need.

“Most of us are retired from our secular jobs,” Wille said. “We’re just out here working in the name of Christ.” From recruiting new volunteers and managing construction teams to making sure materials are ordered and delivered on time, Wille said he and founder and co-director Randolph Wilson try to keep things humming along.

There are several local companies that send out teams to volunteer regularly to help with projects, but there’s always room for more, Wille said. Churches that want to form teams to help others in their congregations are welcome to participate, too.

“Their constituents have needs,” he said. Churches can form volunteer teams and Rebuilding Hope can supply the lumber, a tool trailer and whatever else may be needed to help the church serve its own members in need.

“It’s a wonderful thing when a local church serves its own congregation because they’re seeing how the family of Christ should work,” he said.

The office, located at 414 Raleigh Rd., is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call 252.438.5132 or visit rebuildinghopeinc.org to learn more.

CLICK PLAY!

Vance County Logo

TownTalk: Commissioners Hold Retreat

/by

UPDATED: 2 p.m. February 4

The Vance County Board of Commissioners and county staff spent Friday, Jan. 31 at a planning retreat to discuss a wide range of issues, ranging from conditions and maintenance needs at the county detention center and creation of a possible emergency services complex to changing the property tax revaluation cycle and next steps in filling the District 3 vacancy.

Instead of holding a special called meeting to discuss the potential appointees, the commissioners opted to use the scheduled Feb. 17 work session to possibly choose the person who will fill the District 3 seat, previously held by Sean Alston. The work session is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.

County Manager C. Renee Perry said although five individuals had submitted their names for consideration, only four remain in contention:

  • Joseph Doyle Carpunky
  • Charisse Fain
  • Jeanette B. Floyd
  • Charles Turrentine, Jr.

Former District 3 Commissioner Gordon Wilder had submitted his name for consideration, but he is not affiliated with the Democratic Party. To be considered, individuals must be affiliated with the same party as the person who vacated the seat. Sean Alston, a Democrat, resigned his seat in January.

The retreat took place in the commissioners’ meeting room, and the first agenda item was capital improvements – specifically the jail, EMS/Fire Main Station, EMS substation and the commissioners meeting room.

Among those speaking to commissioners were Sheriff Curtis Brame and Major William Mitchell, who shared information needed maintenance and repairs and answered questions about existing conditions at a facility that was described as having a “history of neglect.”

Brame and Mitchell had plenty of examples about conditions at the jail, from broken doors to antiquated monitoring systems.

Jail staff got a quote of $85,000 to rehang brand-new heavy steel doors on big, heavy steel hinges that inmates managed to dismantle in less than a minute.

“It took less than 30 seconds – they wedged broom handles behind the hinges until they were sprung,” Mitchell explained. This is not a repair job that the current maintenance staff can complete without help, he continued.

County Manager C. Renee Perry said she intended to ask commissioners to consider a plan for jail maintenance at their February meeting, scheduled for Monday, Feb. 3.

Commissioners also discussed a second possible site for an EMS substation in the northern part of the county. Perry said she would provide information at the Feb. 3 meeting for commissioners to consider. The board previously had agreed to pursue another tract, but a couple of commissioners expressed concern about the slope of the property. This second tract is 6.5 acres and significantly flatter, according to Frankie Nobles, special projects coordinator.

After a lunch break, the commissioners discussed pros and cons of the current tax revaluation cycle.

Vance County is one of 30 counties across the state that uses an eight-year cycle.

Warren County uses the 8-year cycle; Franklin and Granville counties are on 6-year cycles; Halifax, Lee and Person counties are on 4-year cycles.

Commissioners expressed concern about the cost of more frequent revaluations and the financial feasibility of using in-house staff to complete the reval process instead of hiring outside contractors.

As for progress being made in using the close to $2 million in opioid settlement funds that the county has received so far, commissioners would like to reconvene a meeting of community stakeholders, from county leaders to mental health experts, public health staff, DSS, law enforcement and others to gather input about how to spend the money.

So far, the county has disbursed zero dollars, according to Special Projects Coordinator Frankie Nobles.

Perry said she would work to convene a meeting of stakeholders in March.

CLICK PLAY!

(Original version posted February 3, 2025)

TownTalk: Around Old Granville: Agriculture’s Roots In Vance County

/by

Around the turn of the 20th century, the Nutbush area – known today as the Drewry community – had just shy of 400 households. And of those households, said local historian Mark Pace, there were only eight that did not derive their income from agriculture.

But in those eight households surely lived people engaged in support services for all those farmers, Pace noted on Thursday’s tri-weekly history segment of TownTalk. There were merchants, bankers, household help and physicians – all the things necessary for a community back in 1900.

Today’s landscape is quite different, to which anyone who drives along most any county road will attest: Subdivisions are popping up where row crops once stood and solar fields are replacing pastures and hayfields all across the state.

But Vance County is a little bit of an anomaly from other counties in the state, Pace said, as he and WIZS’s Bill Harris discussed a condensed history of agriculture in the county. About one-third of the roughly 178,000 acres of land that comprises the county is allotted for agriculture, which includes, pastureland, forestry and crops.

Some counties have virtually no farmland left, Pace said, thanks to urban sprawl and the proliferation of suburbs.

“That’s a trend that will probably continue,” he said.

Vance County – and Old Granville County before it – has a long history with agriculture in general, and as Pace said, “You can’t talk about Vance County and not talk about tobacco.”

From the mid-1700’s, this was always a good place to grow tobacco, he explained.

“Red” tobacco was prevalent then, and used more for plug or chewing tobacco, snuff and cigars.

Fast-forward to the 1890’s when James B. Duke was cornering the market in the cigarette-making industry in Durham, Henderson also was well-known as a tobacco market. According to Pace, Henderson once was the third-largest tobacco market in the world, behind Winston-Salem and Durham.

Henderson was perfectly placed between Richmond and Raleigh, and the railroad meant that the tobacco that was sold and bought each season could hop a freight bound for destinations across the world.

And although tobacco certainly was agriculture’s “king” crop around these parts, there were other agricultural ventures, too, Pace said.

Like silk. And sugarcane.

Huh?

In the 1830’s and ‘40’s, Pace said, parts of Vance County had a fascination with silkworms, who spin their pricey filaments in the branches of mulberry trees. At that time, cotton was selling for between 6 cents and 8 cents a pound, but silk fetched a whopping $4 a pound.

“It was worth your while to mess with silk,” Pace said.

And there was a sugar processing plant in Townsville, Pace said, that processed locally grown sugar cane.

Neither sugar cane nor silk really took hold, but there were other niche producers that had a bigger impact on the local agriculture scene.

Blacknall Strawberry Nursery in Kittrell, for example, shipped thousands upon thousands of plants each year. It was located about where the Dollar General is there along U.S. 1, Pace said. And long-time residents that remember the clothing store Davis’s on Garnett Street may not be aware that Mr. E.G. Davis earlier ventures included a food superette and more in his downtown location before settling on clothing alone.

And he also created the area’s first large-scale ag industry, Pace explained, back in the 1930’s when he established a chicken farm out in the county on what many old-timers still refer to as Chicken Farm Road.

“People are still making a living off the land,” Pace said, but farming and agriculture certainly have evolved over the years as tobacco subsidies and allotments have given way to alternate crops, niche markets and farms became destinations for recreational activities.

 

CLICK PLAY!

 

TownTalk: Love is in the Air with Granville Tourism

/by

February. It’s the shortest month, but that’s not stopping Tourism Director Angela Allen and Granville County from packing in a wealth of events and activities into 28 days.

From Cedar Creek Gallery’s ‘Cupful’ exhibit to the popular murder mystery dinner theatre, check out all that Granville County has to offer at www.visitgranvillenc.com.

Allen said she’s constantly updating the website and blog posts to keep the area in tune with all the goings-on.

Whether you appreciate the beauty of handcrafted pottery or enjoy the hunt for a vintage vinyl record, Allen said Granville County offers “a little bit of everything” for people to do – there’s plenty of activities for people to do and things for people to love, she said on Wednesday’s TownTalk.

And she said the collaboration that’s going on among downtown businesses – retail and restaurants – is something to behold.

Take Tobacco Wood Brewing Co., for example. It’s now offering a Saturday brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. But invited to join in the fun during that time is Ox4d Music, which offers a pop-up shop on Saturdays while the finishing touches are being put on its stand-alone Main Street location.

Previously located in the lower level of The Hub on Main, the record shop will open soon at its new location.

“We are so proud of them,” Allen said. “They’re definitely a staple in downtown Oxford.”

And Angel Wings Bookstore recently opened  in the space that previously had housed Harvest Restaurant, Allen noted. But they don’t just sell books – there’s a bistro located inside that is being operated by the folks that run Bigfoot BBQ.

Allen said her webpage has a whole tab of listings dedicated to Valentine’s Day. Check out the latest – “Love is in the Air”at https://visitgranvillenc.com/blog/#!/2097-Love-Is-In-The-Air-In-Granville-County-This-Valentines-Season to view all the options for singles, couples, friends and families.

 

Here are a few highlights of upcoming events across Granville County in February:

  • Saturday, Feb. 22 – Puppy Love Quarter Auction at The Barn at Vino in Stem. Tickets are $10, and Allen suggests to purchase soon. Sponsored by the local nonprofit Dogs Deserve Better of the Piedmont, participants can expect a fun evening, great auction items and food and beverage trucks for food purchase. The doors open at 6 and the auction begins at 7. Bring a dog toy to donate and take part in a special drawing that evening. Call 919.283.1449 for more information or find details at https://visitgranvillenc.com/whats-happening/#!/288938-puppy-love-quarter-auction
  • Saturday, Feb. 8 – Couples can head over to Yoga for Good in downtown Oxford for a couples yoga class from 3:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. Once the class is over, participants can stop by Strong Arm Baking Co. with their yoga class ticket for a glass of bubbly, Allen said – the perfect wind-down after a yoga session.
  • Saturday, Feb. 8 – 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Take part in the Scavenger Hunt date night at Angel Wings Bookstore, 205 Williamsboro St.
  • Thursday, Feb. 13 – 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. – Kids ages 7-12 are invited to Hix Gym for their own version of Valentine’s Day fun, with crafts, games , pizza and more. The cost is $6 per child and the registration deadline is 12 noon on Feb. 13.
  • Wednesday, Feb. 12 – 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Verdigris is the place to be to celebrate “Gal”entine’s with your best girlfriends. Finger foods, creative cocktails and music are on the menu.
  • Thursday, Feb. 13 6 p.m. – Angel Wings Bookstore hosts Book Besties Galentine’s Night. Wear comfy clothes and bring a book to share – as well as your book bestie for a cozy evening.

With all this talk about love being in the air, Allen just had to mention the annual spring Granville Wedding and Event Expo, scheduled for Sunday, Mar. 2 at the Creedmoor Community Center from 12 noon to 3 p.m.

Admission is free for all who bring a donation to Families Living Violence Free, the nonprofit agency that helps families in domestic violence situations. “If you bring a donation with you that day or go to the payment link and pay, you can get in free,” Allen said.

Come check out all the different vendors who can provide services for weddings, reunions and other big celebrations, all under one roof.

Tasting tickets are $10 and a limited number of VIP packages, which includes a tasting ticket and a swag bag, are available for $20.

https://visitgranvillenc.com/whats-happening/weddings-events/

Find out all the details at www.visitgranvillenc.com.

 

 

CLICK PLAY!

TownTalk: Bryan Cohn NC House 32 Representative Talks Issues, Legislating For All

/by

As the newly elected District 32 representative in the N.C. House, Bryan Cohn said he sees plenty of opportunities to work in a bipartisan fashion to preserve and strengthen the economy, natural resources and more for his constituents in Vance and Granville counties.

Cohn narrowly defeated incumbent Frank Sossamon in the November general election, but with the early January swearing-in in Raleigh and then a ceremonial swearing-in on Sunday, Jan. 19 at McGregor Hall, Cohn said he is ready to get to work.

About 100 supporters attended the second swearing-in on the afternoon of Jan. 19, during which the new state legislator shared his vision.

“It was a message of optimism and a message of hope,” he said on Tuesday’s TownTalk, “and really a message of gratitude to everyone who contributed their time and effort into this campaign.”

He called running for office “a humbling experience” and said he told those supporters on hand two Sunday afternoons ago that he will “represent them … and make sure we continue to listen to what they have to say and advocate appropriately in Raleigh.”

Among several priorities for the freshman legislator are expanded access to health care, taking care of seniors and keeping an eye on the regional water system.

“The ongoing expansion of water and sewer infrastructure upgrades is going to continue to be a top priority in this region,” Cohn explained.

Attending to those issues, among others, will also help foster growth in the district, which leads to economic growth for the region.

Expanding business and industry in the district will increase the need for an educated workforce, so he wants to make sure public education is up to the task.

Cohn said he is making the rounds throughout the district, adding that talking to leaders and others in the community is part of a “discovery phase” to help him get the lay of the land and be better equipped to be supportive of the various needs.

Although he said he was “unapologetically delighted” to be able to break up the Republican super majority in the N.C. House, Cohn said no one party should rule with absolute authority. He said he looks forward to working with Republicans Rep. Matthew Winslow and State Sen. Lisa Barnes, for whom he said he has great respect.

“Leaders should listen and take stock from what they are being told,” Cohn said. “We may not always agree,” but he said he suspects there are likely many things that they can agree on.

In his role as a commissioner for the City of Oxford, Cohn said he realized that municipalities and county officials are limited in what they can and cannot do, based on state laws.

“It makes it really difficult when you’re trying to plan for future growth,” he said or trying to put in place policies that talk about zoning or other issues faced by local governments.

Cohn said he feels some laws created last year around zoning issues need to be looked at to provide cities and counties more clarity, saying they created “a lot of gray area.” The language in those bills needs to be adjusted to better define what is allowed and not allowed.

He said he would like to see bills spend more time in committee to create a more polished product that spells out clearly for landowners, developers and local governments what the bill entails.

You don’t always need a sledgehammer to get results, Cohn said. Sometimes it takes a scalpel.

CLICK PLAY!

Vance County Logo

TownTalk: Four (Now Five) Put Names Up For Consideration To Fill District 3 Board Seat

/by

Update 1-28-25:

Vance County Manager Renee Perry said, “One more was received before the deadline. Charisse Fain.”

Perry confirmed that during the next regular commissioners meeting, this Monday, February 3, 2025 at 6 p.m., that next steps in this appointment process will be discussed.

Please review earlier updates below for further information.

Update 1-24-25:

The Vance County Board of Commissioners has the names of four people who are interested in filling the vacant District 3 seat on the board. Today was the deadline to submit names and the names that WIZS reported Thursday are the names that will be considered, according to information from County Manager C. Renee Perry.

Listed in alphabetical order, the four individuals are:

Joseph Doyle Carpunky
Jeanette B. Floyd
Charles Turrentine, Jr.
William Gordon Wilder

Former Commissioner Sean Alston vacated his seat on the board effective Jan. 1, when he took a job as a magistrate in Warren County. The commissioners have until Mar. 1 – 60 days from the time the seat was vacated – to appoint a replacement.

At a meeting in early January, County Attorney Jonathan Care advised commissioners that a meeting may need to be held in early February to discuss the appointment and those interested in filling Alston’s unexpired term.

The next regular meeting of the commissioners is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 3.

The district 3 seat is up for election in 2026, according to Vance County Elections Director Haley Rawles.

Click Play!

***********************

Original Update 1-23-25:

With the deadline looming, Vance County Manager C. Renee Perry confirmed Thursday that four individuals have submitted their names to be considered to fill the vacant District 3 seat on the Vance County Board of Commissioners. Other interested individuals have until tomorrow – Friday, Jan. 24 – to submit information to the county.

Listed in alphabetical order, the four individuals are:

  • Joseph Doyle Carpunky
  • Jeanette B. Floyd
  • Charles Turrentine, Jr.
  • William Gordon Wilder

Former Commissioner Sean Alston vacated his seat on the board effective Jan. 1, when he took a job as a magistrate in Warren County. The commissioners have until Mar. 1 – 60 days from the time the seat was vacated – to appoint a replacement.

At a meeting in early January, County Attorney Jonathan Care advised commissioners that a meeting may need to be held in early February to discuss the appointment and those interested in filling Alston’s unexpired term.

The next regular meeting of the commissioners is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 3.

The district 3 seat is up for election in 2026, according to Vance County Elections Director Haley Rawles.

TownTalk: 4th Annual VCS Golf Tournament Mar. 27

/by

The fourth annual golf tournament sponsored by the Vance Charter School Booster Club is coming up on Mar. 27, but there are only two team slots left, so register soon if you want to take part.

VCS Booster Club President Caroline Overby and VCS Athletic Director Lance Stallings are looking forward to the event, which will be held at Henderson Country Club. The first tournament had 12 teams participating, and last year’s event had a then-record 17 teams, Stallings said on Monday’s TownTalk.

This year’s goal is 20 teams and they’ve already got 18 signed up – well on their way to meet the mark. “We’ve been blown away with the support early on,” Stallings said. Registration continues until Mar. 7.

Overby said the tournament will begin at 12 noon with a shotgun start. As the golfers complete their rounds, they’ll be able to head back to the club house before the awards presentation at 6 p.m.

This year marks the first time that the event will include a silent auction and live music from  Whiskey Bent band from Oxford. Overby said she and event organizers are confident that these additions will add to the festivities.

“It’s going to be a great day of golfing,” Overby said, in support of the athletic department and student athletes at Vance Charter.

Stallings said the booster club helps the athletic department by supplementing what the school is able to provide its teams and athletes – from extra team meals to pitching machines for the baseball team. The booster club goes “the extra mile,” he said. “It’s difficult to have a successful athletic department without having a booster club…it’s a great partnership that we have with them and we’re grateful for them.”

Overby praised local businesses and others for their support as well.

Presenting sponsors for this year’s golf tournament are Chick-fil-A, Drake & Seymour Dentistry and Sossamon Funeral Home.

But there are additional opportunities for sponsorships, including Gold level ($1,700) Silver level ($1,250) and Blue level ($700).

To find out more, contact Stallings at 252.431.0440 or Overby at 252.213.7121.

Click Play!

U.S. Attorney For Eastern District Of N.C. Announces Whistleblower Pilot Program

/by

— information courtesy of U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina

U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. has announced that the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina has implemented the EDNC Whistleblower Pilot Program.

“In this office, we are focused on enhancing the identification and prosecution of white-collar crime,” Easley said in a written statement released Friday. “The EDNC Whistleblower Pilot Program achieves that by incentivizing individuals to proactively come forward with information about crimes taking place within corporations.  The benefit to the participant, if qualified, is avoiding prosecution.  We encourage all who may have information on fraud, corruption, or corporate crime, to fill out the short form on our website.”

To encourage early voluntary self-disclosure of criminal conduct and to promote effective enforcement of criminal laws, the office has implemented the EDNC Whistleblower Pilot Program.  The program applies to circumstances where an individual discloses information regarding certain covered subjects identified in the policy to this office, Easley’s statement explained.  Covered subjects include criminal conduct undertaken by or through public or private entities or organizations, including corporations, partnerships, non-profits, exchanges, financial institutions, investment advisers, or investment funds involving fraud or corporate control failures; intellectual property theft and related violations; or offenses affecting market integrity.

The policy also applies to disclosed criminal conduct involving state or local bribery or fraud relating to federal, state or local funds.  The policy does not apply to offenses involving violence.  Provided all policy conditions are met, this office will enter into a deferred or non-prosecution agreement with the whistleblower.

By clarifying the requirements and benefits of such self-disclosure, this office seeks to incentivize individuals (and their counsel) to provide actionable and timely information.  This will, in turn, help us expose more misconduct and better protect the communities we serve.

Find a complete copy of the policy, along with the application at:

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/ednc-whistleblower-pilot-program

(Originally posted to WIZS.com Jan. 24, 2025)

Click Play!

TownTalk: Charles Turrentine, Jr., 2024 Recipient of United Way’s Sam Watkins Visionary Award

/by

The winner of the 2024 Sam Watkins Visionary Award has a clear vision for what his community can be – for young people, for all people.

Charles Turrentine, Jr. told WIZS Wednesday that he thought he was attending Tuesday’s United Way banquet to see his wife recognized for being Warren County’s Teacher of the Year.

As Turrentine listened as the presenter described the recipient’s projects and accomplishments, he said they sounded familiar, but added he “didn’t have a clue” that he was the award winner. “To be honest, it’s still kind of a shock,” Turrentine said, just a day after getting the award.

Whether through his work with renovating the Chestnut Street Park and Crime Stoppers or being a trustee for Davis Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, Turrentine, 41, said his focus is on changing the narrative of Vance County.

And he’s hoping to add to his growing list of interests that of county commissioner. Turrentine lives in District 3 – the seat recently vacated by Sean Alston – and he wants to be appointed to fill Alston’s unexpired term and then run for the seat when it is next up for election.

“I’ve been putting the word out there,” Turrentine said. “I’m not doing it for me – I’m doing it for Henderson and Vance County…I’ve (got) pure intentions,” he said – no hidden agendas. “I just want to do what’s right for the people.”

He’s already hearing from people who have concerns about the property tax rates and having a revenue-neutral budget. He also puts public education and the future of the county jail on his priority list.

He said Sam Watkins and his brother George always had a vision of what Henderson could be – and it’s a vision he shares. “I’ve always wanted to put the youth in Henderson in that vision,” he said, “to let them know there’s a brighter day ahead.”

In his mind’s eye, he pictures George congratulating him on his work and for receiving the award that bears his brother’s name. “I can see George now, shaking my hand and saying ‘I’m proud of you. You’re doing good things. I think my brother would be proud of you, too.’”

Looking at his name on the same plaque that bears not only Watkins’s name, but other recipients, Turrentine said, simply, “I’m in some good company.”

 

CLICK PLAY!

TownTalk: Virtual Information Session for Vance County Schools

/by

Despite Tuesday night’s snow “event,” tonight’s virtual information session for prospective families in Vance County Schools will go on as planned. Parents can log in via a link on the school district’s website https://www.vcs.k12.nc.us/and connect with principals of the five campuses designated as Innovative Schools. The event begins at 6 p.m.

“All five principals will be on to answer any questions about the schools,” said VCS Chief Officer of Communication & Support Aarika Sandlin. Applications are available online and are due by Feb. 7.

“We try to meet our families where they are,” Sandlin said of the in-person and virtual offerings for parents, who may be interested in learning more about the Innovative Schools in the district. Three schools have already had info sessions at their campuses, but two remain: E.M. Rollins STEAM will hold an on-site session Thursday, Jan. 23 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Vance County Early College will hold an info session at its location in Building 2 at Vance-Granville Community College on Tuesday, Jan. 28 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Delivering information across a variety of platforms is important for district leadership to make sure parents stay updated on school programs and processes.

Dr. Jacqueline Batchelor-Crosson, executive director of Federal Programs and Elementary Education, said student safety and instructional practices are what’s top-of-mind for parents and families.

“We are so excited to offer Vance County Schools to our families and our young students,” she said. As a former kindergarten teacher and elementary principal, Batchelor-Crosson said she understands the importance of getting youngsters off on the right foot in school.

Parent engagement sessions are held throughout the year to help keep families informed. Sandlin said future family engagement sessions include a Jan. 23 session for English as a Second Language Arabic-speaking families, and a Feb. 27 session on internet safety.

Visit https://www.vcs.k12.nc.us/ to learn more.

 

CLICK PLAY!