TownTalk: Community Resource Festival Coming To VGCC

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Organizers of the second Community Resource Festival say a multitude of vendors will come together under one roof to share information and network with individuals on Wednesday, Mar. 13 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center.

More than 200 people came out last year to the first event, and VGCC’s Stephanie Tolbert and Huff Consulting’s Michele Walker hope more people will walk through the doors this year to visit with the 75 vendors who will be in attendance.

The vendors are a cross-section of civic organizations, all shapes and sizes of nonprofits, as well as local businesses, Walker said on Thursday’s TownTalk. She is the sales and accounts manager for Huff Consulting, and had the idea to put this festival on last year.

As VGCC dean of Business, Applied Tech and Public Service, Tolbert joined forces with Huff to plan the day’s events this year. She said everyone who stops in during the day will leave with a ball full of freebies, “but more importantly, knowledge about resources that they didn’t know existed in their backyards.”

Tolbert said the festival is a time for networking and forming new partnerships in the larger community.

The Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce is one of the event sponsors. In a written statement, Chamber President Sandra Wilkerson said “This is about
opportunities for all the people in our community to gather knowledge, opportunities and tools to make their lives and businesses more successful and engaging…Our joint efforts with Huff Consulting, Vance Granville Community College and Granville County Chamber of Commerce are designed to make us all
stronger, better, more informed and progressive.”

Granville County Chamber Executive Director Cynthia Ratliff encourages business and industry representatives to check out the event as well. In a statement, Ratliff called the community resource festival an “invaluable opportunity for business professionals to equip themselves and their teams with the tools they need for success.”

Be prepared to learn, network and share information, but make sure you bring an appetite – Smokin’ Souls and Bun on the Run food trucks will be set up on site as well. There will be a fun photo booth for some selfie fun and door prizes will be awarded every 30 minutes.

David Bullock with VGCC also will be on site with a drone demonstration.

Whether you only have a few minutes or can spend a few hours, the community resource festival will not disappoint.

 

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TownTalk: Fire Department Awards And Dinner

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The City of Henderson’s fire department took some time recently to gather for dinner and fellowship as they reflected on events of the past year, honored current firefighters and remembered the late fire chief Steve Cordell.

Chief Tim Twisdale, a guest on Wednesday’s TownTalk, said the Feb. 22 event was special in many ways, not the least of which was beginning the evening with a moment of silence to remember Cordell, who died in January 2023.

Oftentimes, the public sees firefighters in bulky turnout gear in the line of duty or in more casual clothing around the fire house making sure all the vehicles are in tip-top shape. But Twisdale said this occasion was reason to pull out the Class A uniforms and really show off – on this evening, firefighters learned who was named 2023 Firefighter of the Year and who would be the recipient of the Chief’s Award.

“This is the 47th year that our department has been having a gathering to honor our members and the accomplishments they’ve had throughout the year,” Twisdale noted.

Jeffrey Payne Watson was named Firefighter of the Year and Devin Hall received the Chief’s Award. Twisdale said both men are real assets to the department.

Watson came on board in 2021 – in fact, Twisdale was on the interview board when he was hired and then worked with him on the same shift. He saw Watson every day there in the beginning, and Twisdale said he quickly saw Watson as a natural leader. “He’s one of those go-to persons,” Twisdale said, someone who makes sure that everyone comes out of a situation with a better grasp and understanding than they’d had before.

Deputy State Fire Marshal Tony Bailey was the guest speaker for the event, and Twisdale said he appreciated Bailey’s continuing support  over the years as the fire department has been able to attain – and maintain – a coveted ISO rating of 2.

Chief’s Award recipient Hall commutes three days a week to his job at the Henderson Fire Department from his home in South Hill, VA.

When considering nominees for the Chief’s Award, Twisdale said he’s looking “for someone who really comes into the doors every day as a positive example” for others, making contributions not only to the community but to the brotherhood of firefighters.

“He is a constant source of information,” Twisdale said of Hall. “He shares his knowledge an skills.”

Twisdale noted several recent promotions within the department, including Capt. Capt. Justin Crowder and Capt. Justin Simmons, who is in charge of Engine 1. Simmons’s primary duties are looking after a three-member crew of that truck, the chief said.

As new battalion chiefs, Rick Puryear and Kyle Holtzman supervise the shifts of firefighters who protect the city 24 hours a day.

Hall and fellow firefighter Chase Carter have risen to the rank of engineer. Both men are a big part of the department’s ladder company, Twisdale said. The fire department is looking at ways to replace the aging truck, which came into service in 2005. Back then, it cost $800,000.

Like everything else, he said, inflation has driven up prices on fire trucks, too.

“If we sign a contract today, it’d be $2.1 million,” he said.

Check out the year-in-review video that Engineer Carter created for the awards banquet. You can find it on the fire department’s Facebook page. Chief Cordell figures prominently in the video, and his memory will live on, Twisdale said.

“We try to honor his memory by trying to move forward each day,” he said.

 

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Primary Election Coverage in Vance County; Commissioner Taylor Unseated

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Valencia Perry unseated incumbent Archie Taylor in Tuesday’s Democratic primary election for the District 2 seat on the Vance County Board of Commissioners.

It was a fairly close contest through the evening as the county’s 12 precincts reported, and WIZS News was able to call the race for Perry by 9 p.m. Perry had 251 votes to Taylor’s 213. Perry got more votes than Taylor in each of the precincts in District 2, according to tallies Tuesday night by the Vance County Board of Elections.

The other local race determined on Super Tuesday was the District 5 Board of Education race. Incumbent Linda Cobb successfully defended her seat by defeating challenger William Earl Purvis 308 to 138 – that’s 69 percent for Cobb and 31 percent for Purvis.

WIZS News contacted Perry by phone Tuesday evening after the results were in. “I thank everyone who voted for me,” Perry said. “I’m so grateful… I will be proud and humble to serve the people of Vance County.”

On the campaign trail, Perry said she heard concerns about schools, mental health and the county jail – issues that she also had emphasized as priorities.

“The people came out and voted for me,” she said. “They listened to me and they gave me a chance.”

Taylor congratulated Perry on her win and said he would support her any way he could.

“I wish her all the best going forward,” he said in a phone interview with WIZS News Tuesday.

First elected in 2012, Taylor said he would continue to serve on the boards he’s on to the utmost of his abilities.

Between now and December, when Perry will be sworn in as District 2 Commissioner, Taylor said he would continue to work with his fellow commissioners on issues including the budget, on the revaluation process and “this revenue neutral business with the taxes.”

After the polls closed at 7:30 p.m., results rolled in smoothly to the local board of elections office through the evening.

A total of 5,656 votes were cast in Vance County – 3,338 Democrat ballots and 2,305 Republican ballots were tallied. There are 28,296 registered voters in the county, so 5,656 represents roughly 20 percent that came out to vote in this primary election.

This overall voter turnout is lower than the previous two March primaries – turnout in March 2020 was 24.6 percent. In March 2016, almost 32 percent of voters cast votes.

— UPDATED 10:38 p.m. March 5, 2024

By Laura Gabel. John C. Rose contributed.

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TownTalk: Sossamon Hosts Human Trafficking Forums

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N.C. Rep. Frank Sossamon wants to get the word out about a couple of upcoming community forums that he hopes will shed a little light on the topic of human trafficking – what it is, what it can look like and how to seek help or report suspicions. Scheduling forums like the ones next week is just one way that Sossamon continues to pastor to the community.

The first forum will be held Tuesday, Mar. 12 at Perry Memorial Library, Sossamon said on Tuesday’s TownTalk. There’s a special session for law enforcement representatives from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., followed by the community forum open to the public at 6 p.m.

He said there will be representatives from a variety of agencies and nonprofits well-versed in the issue of human trafficking to inform and educate and help attendees “better understand this enormous and egregious problem.”

The second forum will be held at the Granville Expo Center in Oxford on Thursday, Mar. 14, following the same format as the Henderson event.

When you hear the term “human trafficking,” what often comes to mind is either sex trafficking or labor trafficking.

Oftentimes, Sossamon said, people don’t know what signs to look for, and instances of trafficking could be happening “right up under our noses.”

Attend one of the two forums and come away with information, some training and a better level of understanding about the problem.

Victims of human trafficking are often under such control that they often never say a word, never try to escape, Sossamon explained. Sometimes they wear bulky clothing or stay covered up to hide malnutrition or markings from abuse.

“It’s beyond me to fully comprehend…to be taken against their will…and do whatever they’re told to do,” he said. “It’s such a large topic when you begin to dive into it – it covers so many different scenarios.”

He recalled a recent case that happened here in Vance County when a law enforcement officer discovered a case of trafficking.
Thanks to training that the State Highway Patrol officer had received, he was able to identify and capture the perpetrator and save the victim.

“One of the big things is awareness, even among those who are sworn to protect,” Sossamon said, adding that there are so many demands on law enforcement officers, the more the community can do to help, the better.

“It takes all of us to have a level of awareness and understanding,” he said, adding that it’s important for individuals to be on the lookout, too.

Holding forums in his district is just one way to help keep the community safe, involved and informed.

“It takes all of us to be involved,” Sossamon said.

 

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TownTalk: Local Primary Elections, 10 Tips For A Smooth Voting Process

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The state’s primary election is Tuesday, Mar. 5 and elections officials have offered some tips for smooth voting for registered voters who didn’t cast their ballots during the early voting period.

Precincts are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

From basic rules that define a primary election and knowing your precinct to studying a sample ballot and making sure you bring an acceptable form of photo ID, reviewing the list below could save you time on Election Day.

Not sure where to show up to vote? Visit https://www.ncsbe.gov/, click on the Voter Search link at the top to find your precinct.

1)    Know the rules for a primary election. Primaries are elections used to determine each political party’s nominees who will advance to the general election in November. In a partisan primary, voters affiliated with a political party may only vote their party’s ballot and may not vote in another party’s primary. Unaffiliated voters may choose any one political party’s ballot or a nonpartisan ballot, if available in their jurisdiction. There are Democratic, Republican, and Libertarian primaries in our state this year. An unaffiliated voter may choose to participate in one of these party primaries, while a voter who is registered as a Democrat, Republican, or Libertarian will receive their party’s ballot.

2)    Go to your assigned polling place on Election Day. Statewide, nearly 2,600 polling places will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Voters in line at 7:30 p.m. will be able to cast a ballot.

3)    Find your sample ballot. Voters can use the State Board’s Voter Search tool to locate their sample ballot. The ballot shows the contests that you’ll be voting on.

4)    Bring your photo ID. You will be asked to show photo ID at your polling place when you check in to vote. Most voters will simply show their driver’s license, but there are many other acceptable photo IDs. For more information, including the full list of acceptable IDs, visit BringItNC.com. Voters who do not have photo ID when they vote can make sure their vote counts by either (1) filling out a form explaining why they are unable to show ID, or (2) showing their ID at their county board of elections office by 5 p.m. March 14, the ninth day after the election.

5)    Voters may not register on Election Day in North Carolina. While that is the general rule, voters who become eligible after the regular voter registration deadline, either due to becoming a U.S. citizen or having their rights restored following a felony conviction, are still permitted to register on Election Day.

6)    If you need assistance, request it at your polling place. Curbside voting is available for voters who are unable to enter the voting place without assistance due to age or disability. Once inside the polling place, voters who experience difficulties should request help from an election worker. For more information, see the Help for Voters with Disabilities page.

7)    State and federal laws forbid intimidation or interference with voters. This includes hindering access to the voting place, whether inside or outside the voting site. It is also a crime to interfere with election officials carrying out their duties. Penalties for violations include prison time, a fine, or both. The State Board takes these incidents very seriously. When they occur, we will work with our law enforcement partners to respond. Voters who are harassed or intimidated should notify an election official immediately.

8)    Election results will be posted at the State Board’s Election Results Dashboard. See also the Election Night Reporting Timeline for information on when the public can expect unofficial results on election night.

9)    If you still plan to vote an absentee ballot, act fast. The deadline to have your ballot delivered to the county board of elections is 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Election Day. If you are unsure that the postal service or another delivery service will deliver your ballot by Tuesday, you can instead drop it off at your county board of elections office during business hours, or at an early voting site through 3 p.m. Saturday, when early voting ends. Or you can decide to vote in person on Election Day, and discard your absentee ballot.

10) If you’re participating in the election – as a voter, poll worker, observer, or campaigner – please treat others with dignity and respect. We know the political climate in our country is tense. But let’s make North Carolina a model for accessible, safe, secure and accurate elections.

For more information about voting on Election Day, see Vote in Person on Election Day.

TownTalk: Around Old Granville – Drug Stores

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Today’s pharmacies just don’t have the same feel as those “drug stores” from days gone by. Nowadays, it’s all business, filling prescriptions and answering questions at a special window marked “consultation.”

That’s not all bad, by the way. We can thank a fellow originally from New Bern who moved to Oxford back in 1884 for standardizing the drug industry.

Local historian Mark Pace called Franklin Wills Hancock “the father of pharmacies in North Carolina.”

Hancock started at drug store in Oxford and enjoyed a 68-year career. When he died at age 92, he was the oldest licensed pharmacist in the country. His almost seven decades was the longest tenure as a druggist.

In fact, he was the first licensed druggist, Pace said.

Before licensing was required, there was little standardization among drug stores, apothecaries and other establishments.

Henderson is home to two independent pharmacies – Mast Drug and Medical Arts Pharmacy, and both have been around for decades. Bill Mast started Mast Drug in 1962 and Chocky White started Medical Arts in 1971. Their presence in the community has not faded, despite the existence of larger chain stores.

If you’ve lived in the area long enough, you remember Parker’s, Page’s and Woolard’s. Even the Florida-based chain store Eckerd’s had a front-row seat at the Henderson Mall, complete with a lunch counter and grill in its heyday.

In Granville County, there was Puckett’s up in Stovall that was in business from 1934-1984 and Jones Drug in downtown Oxford. Charlie Jones returned to his hometown and ran his drug store from 1955 to 2009. He continued working part-time well into his 90s at one of the chain stores in Oxford.

The best information Pace can find notes that John G. Hall opened the first drug store in Oxford in 1879. When it closed in 2000, it could claim being in operation over three centuries – the 19th, 20th and 21st, Pace said.

It opened just more than a decade after the Civil War ended, when folks used home remedies concocted from roots and bark and other materials found in nature.

“In the early days of drug stores and pharmacies, basically they were winging it,” Pace said. “They had their own cures, their own method of doing things.”

And many of those early pharmacists touted patented medicines, including Owen Davis, a Henderson pharmacist who formulated “Atlas Celery Phosphate Vitalizer” at Atlas Medicine Company in town.

At 50 cents a bottle, it claimed to cure everything from “general debility” to virility problems.

 

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TownTalk: Dan Brummitt On Economic Development 101

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Economic development often is the engine that spurs communities forward as it provides new job opportunities and contributes to the tax base. Sometimes, though, a community needs to have a little “skin in the game” to attract new businesses.

On the campus of the Henderson-Vance Industrial Park is one such example of the kind of investment that prospective industries are looking for – a shell building. There was an offer on the table almost as soon as it was finished. Unfortunately, that deal fell through at the last minute.

But Dan Brummitt, president of the HVIP board, announced on Wednesday’s TownTalk that there’s a new contract on the table. It’s just the sort of activity that local leaders are hoping for as the city and county continue to work together.

“There’s been a lot of activity on that building, and in the industrial park,” Brummitt said, adding that he sees more opportunities for growth in that area. If all goes according to plan, the new owner – yet unnamed – will close in the next few months.

It takes a strong city-county collaboration and partnerships among other agencies to attract and grow business and industry.

Brummitt said he would like to see more private investors stepping in to have a positive impact on growth. “There are people out there that want to be a part of growth in Vance County,” he said.

A private entity can raise enough money to do a job, Brummitt said, but the city and the county have to be involved when the talk is about making sure the infrastructure is in place.

“If the city and county are not involved, that would somewhat limit it,” he said of economic development.

There are a variety of community partners that help to create a strong network of cooperation, and one of those partners is the Economic Development Commission.

Its original iteration goes back to the 1970’s and in the early ‘80’s, it became an official city-county joint effort, Brummitt said, with the county handling the land part and the city bringing in the water/sewer component.

At that time, the role of director was a 50-50 funding split. In 2009, however, Brummitt said the EDC was “rebooted” and that funding split changed to a 75-25 split, with the county taking the larger responsibility.

As of 2011, the county agreed to fund 100 percent of the position. The city appoints three members to the board and the county appoints six members.

The EDC, with its director leading the efforts, is focused on business retention and expansion, Brummitt said.

Current EDC Director McKinley Perkinson announced her resignation recently and Brummitt said County Manager C. Renee Perry has the job of finding Perkinson’s successor.

That being said, the EDC director works with the 9-member EDC board, but generally reports to the county manager.

Brummitt said the EDC director also “obviously would work with the board” on any projects as well as keeping the EDC board updated on potential new businesses coming to the area. A lot of the job involves recruitment of new business, but the EDC director also needs to know the county’s assets.

Having a good working relationship with a cross-section of business and local leaders, as well as the boards is key to working together to accomplish the common goal that is economic development, Brummitt said.

Plus, “that makes for a healthy EDC,” he added.

“I think we’re in a really positive place,” Brummitt said. As the county continues its search for a new EDC director, he said “there’s a whole lot of activity in Vance County right now.”

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TownTalk: Garry Daeke Discusses City Council Retreat

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Henderson Mayor pro tem Garry Daeke reflected on the City Council’s annual planning retreat, which took place Monday. Six of the eight council members were in attendance, as well as Mayor Melissa Elliott and city staff.

Daeke was a guest on Tuesday’s TownTalk, and praised Elliott for the comfortable atmosphere of the retreat.

“She had this set up in a way that was focused, but casual,” Daeke said. “The conversations were really good,” he said, and the less formal atmosphere was conducive to sharing of ideas and listening to others’ observations.

It gave new City Council members Geraldine Champion, Sam Seifert, Tami Walker and Michael Venable a chance to take a deeper look at issues and challenges the city faces away from formal meetings held in Council chambers.

Perennial issues include housing, water, recruiting and retaining employees and the city’s overall appearance and perception, to name a few.

Connected to all those issues is the critical component of money – revenue, salaries for firefighters and police officers, and how to pay for projects that will enhance the city.

“We need some revenue to get some things done,” Daeke said. “If we get additional revenue, it will be well spent.”

Money could be used for redevelopment within the city, he said. Creating more housing in existing neighborhoods gets more properties back on the tax rolls, adding “value to the city and to the quality of life,” he said.

New development is certainly afoot, too, and Daeke said the new Dabney Village near Lowe’s Home Improvement on Dabney Road is waiting on a transportation impact study before it breaks ground.

Once DOT comes back with projections about how the development will impact the 158/Dabney Drive intersection, things can get moving.

“They’re ready to go,” Daeke said of the developers, “which is really exciting.”

Promoting and supporting economic development involves many moving parts, and it can get complicated, Daeke said, but he added that the city’s role is providing water and sewer.

The water project expansion is well underway and he predicted its completion by the end of the year, or the beginning of 2025.

That type of infrastructure is a critical piece for prospective businesses and industry who are considering Henderson or areas just outside the city limits where water and sewer lines can be run.

What began years ago as a $25 million expansion has now swelled to $80 or $90 million, thanks to COVID and increased construction costs.

But thanks to help from legislators and others, Daeke said a combination of grants, loans and revenue bonds has propped up the project and the city has what it needs to complete it.

Once complete, the water system will be able to provide 20 million gallons of water a day to consumers.

Another topic the group discussed involved sprucing up the entryways to the city, especially along Andrews Avenue and Dabney Drive near Beckford Drive, where City of Henderson signs are located.

The signs themselves have gotten a new coat of paint, but perhaps a school or civic group could take on the task of landscaping around those signs. Daeke said the group talked about having two or three projects as a start to make those entryways more attractive.

As city leaders plan for more growth – think future S Line rail corridor and the Dabney Drive expansion – it’s important for everyone to figure out ways to face challenges while focusing on the many positive things about Henderson.

Take downtown, for example, Daeke said.

“We’ve got some wonderful buildings down there,” he said. There are steps that city officials can take to improve the general appearance, from replacing some damaged windows to enforcing ordinances and cutting down on code violations.

It’s probably time for another salary study as the city looks to fill vacancies, especially among fire departments and the police department.

The city needs to be competitive with salary packages to attract and retain staff, who are regularly lured away to nearby communities because they pay more.

Daeke said he tries to think between two to five years in the future as he contemplates projects that will be beneficial to the city.

They aren’t issues that can be solved in one budget cycle, but by thinking about them as longer-range goals, the city’s leaders can work to make progress.

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TownTalk: Granville County Features Weddings, Ambulances And Vikings In March

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Whether planning a wedding, family reunion or a party to celebrate one of those “milestone” birthdays, Granville County Tourism Director Angela Allen said there will be something for everyone at Saturday’s Wedding and Special Event Expo.

The event will be held on Saturday, Mar. 2 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Creedmoor Community Center and Allen said it’ll be “one-stop shopping” to learn about everything from like venues and photographers all the way to music, caterers and gifts for the bride and groom.

This year’s expo features a formalwear shop in Durham, who will have information about not just wedding attire, but also for proms, dances and other special occasions.

Allen told WIZS’s co-host Bill Harris the expo evolved – thanks to COVID – from the original Brides on Wheels event to an expo that houses a variety of vendors under one roof.

The BOW event began in 2015 as a way to showcase the different wedding venue options. But when COVID restrictions were in place by 2020, Allen said it wasn’t feasible to load a bus and then visit the different featured venues.

When one door closes, another door opens.

“Because of COVID, we aren’t taking life for granted anymore,” Allen said. So whether you’re a bride-to-be or you’re “going over the top” to plan a birthday party, the expo is for you.

“We’re trying to give you the perfect day – whatever you want that day to look like,” Allen said.

“We jam pack a lot in three hours.”

The Creedmoor Community Center is located at 116 Douglas Drive in Creedmoor.

The Granville Ambulance Chase and food truck rodeo is set for Saturday, Mar. 16 at Granville Health System. There are races for the serious runners as well as fun runs and a kid dash during the morning and the food truck rodeo will last from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

A group of health system employees calling themselves Trippin’ Breakers will provide live music at the event.

Visit www.ghsAmbulanceChase.org to register and find details about the different race options.

“The Viking Experience” returns to Granville County’s The Barn at Vino in March for a weekend of immersive entertainment. Allen said this is the third year of the event, and there will be plenty of excitement for adults and young people alike on Saturday, Mar. 23 and Sunday, Mar. 24.

There are a few upgrades for this year’s event that should streamline parking and check-in at the two-day event at 3200 Bliss Trail in Stem, Allen said.

“All tickets for the event are going to be bought online,” she said, adding that there will be NO gate or cash sales. A 100 percent online purchase option should speed things up this year.

Having said that, Allen strongly suggests that anyone interested in attending this year’s “experience” should get tickets now before they sell out.

Visit www.thevikingexperience.com to purchase tickets.

There will be an after-hours show on Saturday from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. This is a ticketed event and takes the place of the popular dinner theatre event, Allen explained.

Not to worry, this popular offering is set to become a stand-alone event in the fall, she added.

To learn more about these events and more, check out www.visitgranvillenc.com and social media channels.

 

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TownTalk: City Government And Storming The Basketball Court

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The latest on the Henderson City Council and thoughts on storming basketball courts in celebration of big victories.

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