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TownTalk: City Of Henderson Takes A Look At Minimum Housing Standards

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The Henderson City Council called a special meeting for noon Wednesday to review a draft of the city’s revised minimum housing code. The board could approve the revised code at its regular monthly meeting on Aug. 8.

WIZS News received a copy of the 17-page code, with its proposed edits, changes and additions highlighted.

City Manager Terrell Blackmon told John C. Rose via email Wednesday that most of the proposed changes are mainly for clarification, with a few changes or additions to the existing code.

Blackmon explained, adding that the work session is a chance to “shake out all of the kinks” in advance of the Aug. 8 meeting.

Last Friday, the council’s public safety and land planning committees held a joint meeting to discuss decent, safe housing within Henderson. Rental properties across the city are subject to certain minimal standards for occupancy, but sometimes those standards prove challenging to enforce.

State law prohibits local governments from adopting stricter regulations than what the state prescribes, according to the city’s Development Services Director Corey Williams. Williams and his team are responsible for code enforcement, so he stays current on what is allowed and not allowed.

According to N.C. General Statutes 160D, Article 12, local governments generally can’t require owners or managers of rental properties to register their properties or enroll in any type of governmental program as a condition of obtaining a certificate of occupancy.

John C. Rose discussed some of the particulars included in the draft proposal on Wednesday’s Town Talk; LISTEN HERE or below.

Included in the proposed revisions are topics such as use of safety devices and physical soundness of the dwelling.

For example, if a property uses fossil fuel as its heating source, there must be a carbon monoxide detector installed. And it is not permissible to use a portable space heater as a primary heat source.

And although gutters and downspouts aren’t required, if they are installed on a dwelling, they have to be in good working order. Fences have to be in good repair, as do roofs, walls and ceilings – no rot or structural compromise.

Each bathroom, water closet, laundry room and furnace room must have at least one GCFI outlet; there must be proper kitchen and bathroom facilities.

What happens when an emergency repair is needed and the property owner or authorized agent isn’t available? According to the current code, property owners are supposed to designate a person who can address repairs in the absence of the owner.

If the draft is approved as written, owners of rental property in Henderson and the ETJ must have someone who lives in Vance, Person, Granville, Franklin or Warren counties as the authorized agent “for the purpose of accepting service of process.” Owners will have to give the Code Compliance Division that person’s contact information and could face penalties if they fail to do so after being contacted by city staff to comply.

Another proposed revision to the code speaks specifically to emergency repairs. “Upon showing that a condition in a dwelling or dwelling unit poses an immediate threat of danger or harm to the safety of the occupants…Board of Adjustment (or City Council) shall adopt an ordinance ordering the administrator to repair such condition.”

The property owner or authorized agent will be give 72 hours’ notice to make the repair, and if no action is taken, the repair will be made and a lien against the property will be filed to recover the cost.

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TownTalk: RCAPS And Cruise In Continues To Support Animals In Need

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Ask Brandon Boyd about his favorite things to talk about, and chances are good that two of them are cars and Ruin Creek Animal Protection Society – not necessarily in that order.

And it’s exactly those two things that will take center stage at this Saturday’s Ruin Creek Cruise-In event at the former Charles Boyd car dealership on U.S. Hwy 158 bypass.

The Cruise-In is being sponsored this year by the Vance County Tourism Authority and Boyd told John C. Rose on Town Talk Tuesday that he’s looking forward to a safe, fun family event – complete with food, live music, and – of course – classic and collector vehicles from near and far. Collectors may begin registering their classic cars and finding their parking spot at 1 p.m.; the event is from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

It’s a way to say “thank you” to all those who help to work tirelessly to fulfill the RCAPS mission of reducing the number of unwanted pets in Vance County.

In the past six years, through a close collaboration with RCAPS, the local shelter has almost cut in half the number of pets that end up at the animal shelter – from more than 3,000 to between 1,700 or 1,800.

“It feels great,” Boyd said of the achievement. “But as we all talk about, there’s still work to be done.” Animal services staff, under the direction of Chief Frankie Nobles, and dedicated shelter and RCAPS volunteers spend untold hours finding rescues who can hopefully find foster homes or adoptive homes for the animals, mostly dogs, Boyd said.

And the animals who do come into the shelter are spayed and neutered before they take that Friday evening “Freedom Ride” to what everyone hopes is a loving home.

Over the last month or 45 days, though, Boyd said the shelter has been “packed full.” Rescue and adoption partners are working around the clock to place the animals in homes and get them out of the shelter.

Boyd said plans are underway to convert the former animal shelter on Vance Academy Road into a low-cost spay and neuter clinic for the community. Although there is not a hard and fast timeline for completion right now, he said that they’re pricing medical equipment now and recruiting veterinary staff to come in to perform the procedures.

“It is in the works and is going to happen,” he said, adding that the clinic will be a tremendous asset for the community to gain the upper hand in the battle to further reduce the demand on the animal shelter and its resources.

“This takes everybody,” Boyd said. He’s proud of the presence RCAPS has in the community – and beyond = and of the efforts to raise awareness of reducing the unwanted pet population. Thanks to social media, RCAPS has received donations from all 50 states in the U.S. and from 13 foreign countries.

RCAPS is not only working to change the lives of animals, but it also is promoting the power of positivity in the community, he said. “That’s the mission and the movement,” he said. “And that’s what we want Saturday to be about. – we’re doing our part to make this a better place.”

 

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TownTalk: Sandy Smith, NC District 1 Candidate

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Sandy Smith said she sees firsthand the adverse consequences of actions taking place in Washington, D.C. Smith said she’s frustrated at the way the federal government is handling issues from illegal immigration to inflation, and as the Republic nominee for the state’s First Congressional District, she said she’s ready to help the country change its course.

Smith won the Republican primary in May, and now faces Democrat Donald Davis and Independent Eshan Patel in the race for the seat being vacated by G.K Butterfield, who is retiring after almost 20 years in the office.

The sprawling district stretches across 19 counties – including Vance, Warren and Franklin – Smith said in an interview with John C. Rose on Monday’s Town Talk.

“It’s a huge rural district,” Smith said. She and her husband live in Nash County, and from their vantage point as farmers and small business owners, she knows “what government over-reach does and how it can strangle us” here in a district that is more rural than urban.

The “out-of-control inflation is extremely crippling to our district,” Smith said. Small bumps employees may see in paychecks can’t keep up with prices at the grocery store and the gas pump.

“We’re here because of the Democrats and the Biden Administration’s policy,” she said, adding that it’s time to “fix our country and reverse those policies.”

Smith, who describes herself as an American Conservative Christian, cited issues including securing the Southern border to combat illegal immigration and stop the flow of illegal drugs as just a couple of problems that she wants to address if she is elected.

She said she wants to focus on domestic production and exploration of oil, adding that American production uses safer technology than foreign production.   Continued reliance on foreign oil opens the country up for a “major disaster,” she said, “making our country very, very weak.”

A strong American makes for a more peaceful world, she said.

Smith said as farmers of 137 acres of row crops in Nash County, she and her husband experience the sting of high input costs like fuel and fertilizer. And as owners of a construction firm, they’ve experienced the hiccups in the supply chain that brings needed materials to finish ongoing projects.

As she has traveled throughout the district to listen to constituents’ concerns, she said she hears similar stories to her own: The majority of them want safe communities, jobs, a secure border, she said. “They don’t want drugs in their community and they want somebody (in Washington) who’s there every single day.”

There are “huge growth opportunities” in the whole district, she said, including Vance County, and she said she’s the leader who can make that growth a reality.

“We do have opportunities in eastern North Carolina,” Smith noted, “and with the right leadership, we can expand that.” One topic is access to broadband internet, which would enable folks “to have jobs instantly rather than wait for a big company to build a facility” in the district. People could work for homes in a variety of jobs web-based jobs, which would put money in their pockets and into the local economy.

“We need somebody who’s going to be faithful to the people of eastern North Carolina,” Smith said.

“What I support is common sense. America first, family first and common sense,” she stated.

Smith said people are excited about her campaign, but she said the change has to happen up and down the ballot, from the school board all the way up to Congress.

She said she looks forward to working with other members of Congress on both sides of the aisle as she represents North Carolina.

Visit Sandysmithnc.com to learn more.

 

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TownTalk: Granville Tourism Prepares For A Busy Intro To Fall

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Summer may be a time to slow down and enjoy family vacations, outdoor activities or chill out with a good book in the air conditioning, but Granville County Tourism Director Angela Allen invites everyone to come out to the streets of Oxford and Creedmoor for several upcoming events.

On Saturday, Aug. 6, head over to Old Warehouse Square just off College Street in downtown Oxford for a “Back to School Bash.” There will be a bounce house, fairy hair, vendors and food trucks on hand from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Allen told WIZS’s Bill Harris Thursday on Town Talk. There will be a school bus on hand to accept school supplies and donations, and Allen said the goal is to fill that bus with items that can be used in classrooms across the county.

Numerous downtown merchants will have collection bins for donating school supplies for students and teachers in advance of the event, and folks are invited to make donations, Allen added.

By early August, grownup and children alike are “getting ready to get their mindset back to school,” Allen said, so a fun family event is just the thing for preparing to return to the classroom.

The Back to School Bash coincides with the annual Sidewalk Sale in downtown Oxford, which happens on Friday, Aug. 5.

If bluegrass music is more your jam, check out Music on Main in downtown Oxford on Friday, Aug. 12. The Grass Street Band will perform from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. “It’s a great time to get out on the streets in downtown Oxford…grab some to-go and bring your lawn chair,” Allen said.

The Creedmoor Music Festival is returning after a break during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Allen said it is “definitely back, bigger and better.” The festival is set for Saturday, Sept. 17 in downtown Creedmoor. Music lovers will enjoy seven different performances on two stages throughout the event, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Allen said there’s a variety of genres represented, from rock and R&B, to Bluegrass and sounds of the ‘60s by band The British Invaders. Add to that mix more than 100 food and craft vendors, and the 29th annual Creedmoor Music Festival will have something for everyone. Find Creedmoor Music Festival 2022 on Facebook or visit https://www.cityofcreedmoor.org/ for updates on when the different groups will perform.

The final concert of the Alive After Five series will take place on Thursday, Sept. 29 in downtown Oxford from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Little John parking lot just off Main Street. The group Spare Change will perform.

And wedged in between all the musical performances is the 16th annual Hot Sauce Contest and Festival. The event, held on the second Saturday in September, falls on Saturday, Sept. 10 and Oxford is gearing up for another influx of visitors to sample the latest hot sauces and mingle downtown for a day of fun and food.

The Embers with Craig Woolard and Crush are among the musical guests scheduled to appear on the Main Stage, as well as numerous other local artists on the regional stage.

The classic car show, always a crowd favorite, will showcase cars for participants to view.

The kids’ area returns with lots of activities like inflatables, crafts and face painting to keep the little ones happy.

There’s a new scavenger hunt planned, which gives participants the chance to win a gift basket filled with hot sauces and other items from downtown merchants.

Check out all the activities planned at a new website, https://nchotsaucecontestandfestival.com/

 

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TownTalk: Plans For New Convention Center On Parham Rd.

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There’s a lot of planning that goes into any construction project, a statement to which Vance County Director of Tourism Pam Hester will attest. But in the case of a possible convention center complex that is in the works for the area, it’s a matter of turning a vision into reality.

Hester was John C. Rose’s guest on Wednesday’s Town Talk and she shared some initial ideas about how acreage just off Parham Road could be transformed into a spot that locals – and visitors – can enjoy. The property is owned by the Vance County Department of Tourism.

“Hopefully, this will be the catalyst for change,” Hester said, in an interview recorded earlier and aired Wednesday. A healthy economic environment is one that has a mixture of businesses, large and small. This convention center and the focus on increased tourism, she said, can be an economic driver.

Initial plans show a 27,000 square foot convention center, which Hester said would be included in the first phase of the three-phase project. “It’s in the conceptual stage right now, (and) we’ve got to go back for some tweaks.” The size could increase to about 30,000 square feet, with a main room that can accommodate 500 for dinner, but as many as 1,000 for trainings and other types of meetings. The main room can be divided into three separate meeting spots, each with its own separate entrance, so Hester said each smaller room could house a different event at the same time.

The Tourism office will be located there, too, which will allow staff to oversee facility usage and rentals – anything from boat and car shows to corporate training events, weddings and sports camps.

“It’s more than just a convention center,” she explained. “It’s more like a community/convention/welcome center.”

The second phase would include addition of a hotel, which is important for tourism in a couple of different ways: Visitors need a place to stay when they attend events in the area, and tourism programs are funded by the 6 percent occupancy tax that hotels and motels generate.

“That would open up a world of opportunities for us,” Hester said of the additional space for visitors to stay. Add a restaurant and the complex becomes more attractive for groups looking to hold events there.

Although Vance County has 319 fewer available hotel rooms, Hester said the county enjoys the highest occupancy tax rate ever. “That six percent that hotels collect is up significantly – it’s much higher than it’s ever been,” she said.

The project’s third phase would be addition of a greenway or walkway to connect with other parts of the city. And there will be a handicap-accessible children’s playground, she added, as well as a place to walk dogs and even a charging station for electric cars.

Like all projects, area officials have been discussing possible timelines for construction and completion.

“I would like to see it start tomorrow,” Hester said, “but that’s not realistic.” More than likely, getting the project underway in 2025 is more realistic.

In the meantime, planning continues and ideas keep percolating among tourism staff, its governing board and the county commissioners. Hester said she is hopeful to get some grant funding as well as developing a plan for corporate sponsorships.

 

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TownTalk: Preview Of Ruin Creek Animal Protection Society Cruise-In

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The upcoming Ruin Creek Cruise-In is the perfect time to celebrate the successes of a collaboration of public and private agencies whose mission is to reduce the number of unwanted dogs and cats in the area.

The Cruise-In will be held on Saturday, July 30 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the former Boyd dealership, 284 U.S. Hwy 158 Bypass. Admission is free to the public; all proceeds will benefit the Ruin Creek Animal Protection Society.

RCAPS founder and president Brandon Boyd said the Cruise-In is the group’s largest fundraiser of the year. This year’s presenting sponsor is Vance County Department of Tourism.

“Not only is it a fundraiser event, but it’s also a time of community fellowship for people in our area to get together and share an evening of safe and enjoyable fun together,” Boyd said in a written statement to WIZS News.

“This is a time we get to see all of our generous donors that allow the work of Ruin Creek to take place and gives us the opportunity to simply tell everyone, ‘thank you,’” Boyd added.

The Cruise-In is surely an event for human enjoyment, but the real winners are the hundreds of dogs and cats that find their way to rescue organizations for foster care or for adoption.

Vance Animal Services Director Frankie Nobles said RCAPS, working alongside his staff, has been a valuable partner.

In the last six years or so, the number of dogs and cats coming through the animal shelter has basically been cut in half – from more than 3,000 a year to last year’s count of below 1,800, Nobles told John C. Rose during Tuesday’s Town Talk.

“We’re seeing that number of animals drastically dropping,” he said, but over the past several weeks, the daily intake is a dozen or more animals. “The shelter is seeing a lot of intakes,” Nobles added.

But RCAPS programs like the Friday Freedom Rides get animals out of the shelter, freeing up space and reducing the need to euthanize animals because there simply is no room to house them.

“The more money they can raise, the more animals we can help get out of here,” Nobles said. Some of that money is used to pay for the transport, but RCAPS also helps offset the cost for the shelter’s spay and neuter program, as well as provide vet care for sick or injured animals who are brought in to the shelter.

County residents who receive government assistance – like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid – can qualify to get their pets spayed or neutered for free through the shelter. The only out-of-pocket expense for eligible pet owners is their animal’s rabies shot, $5 at the shelter or $10 on the day of the spay or neuter procedure.

Residents who don’t qualify for the free spay or neuter services can still get their animals fixed at a reduced rate – $50 for male cats and $60 for female cats, and $70 for male dogs and $80 for female dogs.

Nobles said they’ve done more than 400 community animals – and that doesn’t include those animals that are in the shelter.

The spay/neuter program, coupled with education programs in the community, Nobles said the unwanted pet situation has improved.

“That’s our goal – to reduce that number as low as we can get it,” he said.

In just a few months, the shelter will celebrate six years at the new facility on Brodie Road. Nobles said he appreciates the work of Lead Officer Megan Cottrell as well as Animal Service Officers Chris Vick and Waverly Saunders.

Heather Lovings is the shelter’s office assistant and ever-present volunteer Ellen Wilkins provide invaluable service to keep the office running smoothly.

Nobles said RCAPS volunteers Michelle Wood and Taylor Pitkowsky are a big help, too.

The Cruise-In is a chance to say “thank you” to the community for its support of the work of all the staff at the shelter and the volunteers at RCAPS. Last year’s crowd was in the 3,200 to 3,500 range, and organizers are hoping to exceed that number.

Classic and collector cars from all across North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia will be participating in this event, and local vendors will offer a variety of craft items for sale as well. Vehicle owners can register and check in beginning at 1 p.m.

Stock car racing television broadcaster and classic car enthusiast Mike Joy will be on hand for the festivities, as will Richard Petty’s “Petty Garage,” a traveling display with some of the latest gizmos and gadgets from the world of car racing. There will be demonstrations of some of the equipment for participants to enjoy, too.

South Hill’s Shep Moss and Party Time Music will provide musical entertainment during the Cruise-In, Boyd said, and there will be raffle drawings for prizes throughout the evening.

 

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TownTalk: Barnes And Allen Speak At GOP Event

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Two candidates vying for election in the upcoming midterm election were in Henderson recently and spoke to a partisan crowd about what’s at stake in November.

N.C. Sen. Lisa Stone Barnes, R-District 11, is seeking re-election, and she was welcomed at last month’s Vance County GOP fundraiser. Barnes faces Democratic challenger Mark Speed on the November ballot.

District 11 includes Vance, Franklin and Nash counties. She and her husband live in Nash County and grow sweet potatoes.

“This election is so important,” Barnes told the group of several hundred in attendance at the June 24 event. “We have a chance to regain the super majority in the House and in the Senate, she said, which would eliminate the conservatives’ worry about the governor’s veto.

“We have so much to be thankful for,” Barnes said, heaping praise on the U.S. Supreme Court for overturning Roe v. Wade, a decision that had come down earlier in the day. She called the Court’s ruling a “victory for the American republic (which) returns power to the states, where it belongs.”

Trey Allen, one of two Republican candidates for two N.C. Supreme Court seats, echoed Barnes’s sentiments for Republicans to reclaim the super majority in the General Assembly.

In his remarks, Allen reminded those in attendance that the State Supreme Court “has the last word in interpretation of state law.”

Allen, who currently is the general counsel for the state’s Office of Administrative Courts, said judges are the servants of the law not the masters of the law. As a state Supreme Court justice, he said it would be his job to “follow and enforce the law, not rewrite the law.”

Allen stressed the need for “strong Constitutional conservatives” serving both on the state Court of Appeals and Supreme Court.

If voters elect Republicans in these races, Allen said “we’ve got the change to add to the majority on the Court of Appeals and to take the majority on the North Carolina Supreme Court.”

Allen will face Democratic incumbent Associate Justice Sam J. Ervin IV on the November ballot.

 

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TownTalk: Place Names In Franklin And Warren Counties

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Did you ever wonder how some towns, communities or crossroads get their names? For the very curious, there’s always an online search to ferret out tidbits of useful information. Folks in this area, however, have Mark Pace and Bill Harris!

The two local history buffs talked Thursday about how some communities in Franklin and Warren counties came by their unique names like Pokomoke, Alert (say it AY-lert), Wise and Axtell.

Of course, many names are derived from prominent families in the area at the time, like Bunn, Wood and Youngsville.

But naming a town for a prominent athlete who lived near the turn of the 19th century?

The athlete, as it turns out, was a young stallion who shattered the record for 3-year-old trotters back in 1889. His name was Axtell, and there’s a little community in Warren County that bears his name. After he completed the 1-mile race in a blazing 2:12 time, Axtell was sold to a consortium for the “most outrageously expensive price for a horse” at the time – $105,000, Pace said.

There was a period when it was in vogue to give towns names that had a positive spin, and Axtell could have been an example. Wise, Pacific (now Youngsville) and Alert are other examples, he added.

Louisburg, the county seat of Franklin County, was named for the King of France, Louis XVI. If you remember your Revolutionary War history, France was an ally of the Colonies in its fight for independence from British rule.

Warren County is named for Joseph Warren, a physician and Patriot during the early days of the American Revolution. He was killed during the Battle of Bunker Hill. His brutal death at the hands of British soldiers “really fired up the Patriot cause,” Pace said, and, consequently, naming the county in North Carolina serves as a homage. No doubt, had Warren lived, he would have gone on to be one of the great Patriots, alongside the likes of Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, Pace said.

It’s probably safe to say that there’s not another place on Earth called Norlina, Pace said. This town at the Vance/Warren border had been a water and coal stop for the Raleigh & Gaston railroad. Norlina was where that rail line came together with Seaboard and “a community quickly developed there,” Pace observed. In 1913, the town of Norlina was incorporated.

But what about the origin of Embro and Bambro?

As for Embro, Pace said he’d done some research on the subject. The Mitchell family, he said, came from Scotland  – Edinburgh, to be precise – and settled in the general area. If you put a Southern twist on the Scottish town, he said, you might just come up with Embro.

And Ridgeway? Pace said that was where the railroad track was laid for the Raleigh & Gaston line – “it was laid along the ridge way,” he said.

 

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TownTalk: Bobby Wilkerson Remembered

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In a world where so much emphasis is placed on outward beauty, there was something a little quirky about Bobby Wilkerson’s long-running campaign. But there were plenty of folks clamoring to be a member of Wilkerson’s group – The “Ugly” League.

Wilkerson died last week at the age of 89. His nephew, Danny Wilkerson, spoke with John C. Rose on TownTalk Wednesday and shared some memories of his Uncle Bobby.

As the self-proclaimed “Mr. Ugly,” Wilkerson went around town handing out membership cards, an act that won him attention and more than a little acclaim.

“He would always talk about the men being ugly,” Danny recalled, chuckling. “He had cards printed up…people would just laugh and joke about it, saying ‘yeah, I got my Ugly card.’”

The membership ranks swelled, but Danny said he didn’t think his uncle ever offended anyone by granting them membership into The Ugly League. “He’d say, ‘if I didn’t like you and love you, I wouldn’t give it to you,’” Danny said.

If you got right down to it, his Uncle Bobby was a “people person and he believed in making people happy,” Danny said.

Throughout his working life, Bobby interacted with many people in the community – he was a dispatcher before the 911 system was established and he also worked at the Henderson Fire Department. Danny said there was a time when he, his Uncle Bobby and Danny’s dad Ranger all worked together at the fire department.

In what Danny called semi-retirement, his Uncle Bobby continued his public service as a magistrate, which Danny said he enjoyed a great deal.

All those years, however, Bobby maintained what today would be known as a “side hustle” – he had a business maintaining fire extinguishers. He would travel around town in vehicle of choice – a red International Scout, laden with fire extinguishers and all the tools of the trade.

Danny remembers helping his uncle when he was still in elementary school. “He made me work hard. I value that time with him – he taught me a lot about life,” Danny recalled.

The last Scout Wilkerson had, Danny said, met its demise on the train tracks beside Falkner Coal Yard just off Garnett Street. Seems the Scout had stalled on the tracks, and a train hit it.

No matter how folks knew him – as a magistrate, owner of a fire extinguisher business, founder of the Ugly League, there’s little doubt that he was well-loved.

“He was a gift from God to us all,” his nephew said.

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TownTalk: The Red Cross And International Humanitarian Law

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Whether it’s conducting a blood drive to ward off a summer shortage at local hospitals or providing aid to civilians caught up in the turmoil of armed conflict, one of the fundamental principles of the International Red Cross is to reduce human suffering.

And Thomas Harper, senior legal advisor for the American Red Cross in international humanitarian law, told guest co-host Phyllis Maynard that the Red Cross/Red Crescent doesn’t take sides; rather, it works to protect civilians and civilian property by upholding international humanitarian law, which Harper described as “the law of armed conflict, the rules that govern warfare.”

It may sound strange that warring factions are supposed to comply with certain international rules, but thanks to an array of agreed-upon rules among nations throughout the world such as the Geneva Conventions that were established after World War II, Harper said it’s a role of the Red Cross and Red Crescent to help ensure those rules are followed.

Harper was the guest on the regular monthly “Former Active Duty, Still Boots on the Ground” segment of TownTalk Tuesday.

Harper, a North Carolina native, needed his parents to sign for him to enlist in the Army at age 17. He was in the Army ROTC at NC State, where he earned his commission as a lieutenant. The Army gave him some time to complete law school at Campbell University and he was a JAG (Army attorney) for about seven years before transitioning to the Army Reserve in 2018. During his active duty, he served in Afghanistan as a prosecutor, special victim counsel and an operational law attorney during Operation Enduring Freedom.

Harper currently holds the rank of major and is a deputy regional defense counsel. “I still wear the uniform, just part-time, nowadays,”he said.

Harper advises the Red Cross on international humanitarian law, a specific subset of policies enacted during wartime.

The evolution of International humanitarian law is the result of “repeated carnage and destruction and just lack of humanity that’s in warfare and saying ‘enough is enough,’” Harper said. Through global treaties like the Geneva Conventions, nations across the globe strive for ways to rein in the destruction that war inevitably creates, while protecting innocent civilians and civilian property.

As international humanitarian law has evolved over time, it has put in place protections and a series of rules that serve to protect the innocent in warfare.

Since February, the world has been focused on the events in Ukraine. Reports of shelling shopping areas, apartments and other civilian areas surface regularly, and it’s instances such as these that come to the attention of the International Red Cross.

The Youth Action Campaign is a Red Cross program that introduces students in the 13-23 age range to the basic tenets of international humanitarian law.

The youth advocates as they are called, form teams in their schools and then are given the task of creating and designing public awareness campaigns to educate others about the ins and outs of IHL.

Just in the past year alone, the youth action campaign has reached more than 40,000 individuals, Harper said. “That’s 40,000 individuals who (now) know more about IHL  and how those protections work today,” he said. “It wasn’t the work of some lawyer in DC or some official at a school somewhere – that was the work of students in a classroom and going out and making an impact in their communities.”

Youth who participate in programs like the Youth Action Campaign are helping to support IHL in everyday, real time.

Harper said it’s grass-roots programs like the YAC, as well as stories, interviews and even radio shows that help the country comply with the Geneva Convention of 1949 – whether it’s a group of teens developing a social media campaign to share in the community or participating in a discussion about current IHL issues.

“These rules have to be respected by all sides,” he reiterated. “Every single person’s voice matters.”

“We don’t take sides, we don’t get into the mix of who’s right or wrong because the goal at the end of the day is to reduce suffering. We’re impartial, we’re neutral, because we have to be.”

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