Cooperative Extension With Paul McKenzie: What Works In The Garden

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Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

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TownTalk: Community Prayer Night Is This Friday

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Tiffany Jones, founder of Community Uplift Project, takes her mission seriously – and literally. She is planning a Community Prayer Night for Friday, Dec. 15 and Jones said its purpose is to spiritually uplift the community.

It’s called “Light the Way” and it begins at 7:30 p.m. at the offices of the local nonprofit at 105 S. Garnett St.

There will be food, special music, games for the children and prayer, she told WIZS co-hosts Bill Harris and Steve Lewis on Monday’s TownTalk.

When Jones says there will be food, she clarified: no finger foods, no hors d’ouevres for this community prayer night – everyone in attendance will get a plate full of supper. When they leave, they’re gonna be full spiritually and full literally, she said.

“Everybody leaves with something,” Jones said, “spiritual or tangible.”

Newscasts and news feeds are full of bad news – crime, wars, shootings, she said, the community prayer night is one way she can offer people hope.

“We just want to make sure people are uplifted at this time of the year,” Jones said.

Community Uplift Project was founded in August 2019, when Jones was unable to work because she was suffering from lupus. She was hosting yard sales to earn some money, she recalled. “I was sitting on my mother’s porch,” Jones said, “and the Lord said ‘give it all away.’”

Confused but obedient, Jones said she began posting photos of the items she was now giving away rather than selling.

People responded to her posts and she began to deliver the items to those who needed it.

“The more I did it, the more God gave me,” Jones said. “With the vision He gave me…I was just obedient to the vision.”

Jones is a self-professed giver – “just a little girl from the ‘hood with a big dream,” she said. She accepted the call to ministry more than 10 years ago and has never looked back.

She works with Headstart during the day, but can usually be found at the Community Uplift Project by 4:15 or so. Email her at CommunityUpliftProject2020@yahoo.com

or phone her at 252.425.6056.

 

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S-Line Rail Corridor

The Local Skinny! S Line Rail Corridor Receives Over $1 Billion

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Apparently, $1 billion doesn’t go as far as it used to. At least as far as the S-Line passenger rail line goes, that number – a 1 followed by NINE zeroes – will get the train from Raleigh to as far north as Wake Forest. That’s still 28 miles or so from Henderson.

President Joe Biden and U.S. Department of Transportation announced last week that North Carolina would get a whopping $1.09 billion in federal grant money to build the first segment of the S-Line, a high-performance passenger rail line that will ultimately connect North Carolina with Virginia and points in the Northeast.

WIZS News spoke with NC DOT Rail Division Director Jason Orthner late last week  to find out what the project means for the state, and for Henderson and Vance County – basically the halfway point between Raleigh and Richmond.

Orthner said Henderson is “a critical location on the line…(which, when completed)  will be on one of the most advanced transportation networks in the country.”

The whole project covers 162 miles, Orthner said. While there is existing rail along many stretches, it’s a project that will need to be built in phases. If DOT engineer could wave a magic wand to create all the bridges and other structural components needed to bring the passenger rail service through the state, it surely would shorten the process.

Alas, state DOT officials are just trying to get the train out of Raleigh and north to Wake Forest in this first phase of the massive project.

“We will pursue grant funding and extend service as we do it,” Orthner said, adding that DOT is already planning for the next phases to reach Henderson and beyond.

As for Henderson’s part, Orthner said, being ready for what’s coming, he’s pleased. “We are really excited about Henderson,” he said.

City leaders have been learning about mobility hubs and transportation hubs as they prepare and plan for what passenger rail service can add to the city’s growth and tourism opportunities.

The trick is to use existing tracks up and down the East Coast for passenger rail service without impeding the freight service that uses the same railways.

Train travel is growing in popularity – there’s record ridership between Raleigh and Charlotte, Orthner noted – and he said there is a true interest by the public in rail transportation.

“It’s safe, productive, comfortable and it’s just really a great way to travel.”

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Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Small Orchards

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Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

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Granville Haunt Farm Named Top N.C. Attraction By State Travel Industry Association

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When Grey Blackwell started the Granville Haunt Farm nine years ago, he just wanted to give folks a fun – and entertainingly scary – experience around Halloween. Since that first season, the seasonal event has grown into the “anchor” for fall events in Granville County. Blackwell and The Haunt Farm were recognized recently as the North Carolina Attraction of the Year by the N.C. Travel Industry Association.

“When we started Granville Haunt Farm…we never anticipated the impact we would have on tourism in Granville County,” Blackwell said. He credits Granville Tourism Director Angela Allen and the county’s Tourism Development Authority for helping to elevate the Haunt Farm’s popularity.

“We’re grateful for their partnership in helping us bring memorable experiences to our visitors and humbled to receive this award.”

Necessity is the Mother of Invention, they say, and Blackwell pivoted his walk-through event to a drive-through during the COVID-19 pandemic. And he hasn’t looked back.

Vehicles fill the field-turned-parking-queue on the weekends, waiting their turn in line.

In just a few short years, the “Drive-Through Drive-In” attraction has gone from a beloved local event to an attraction that draws visitors from across North Carolina and beyond. The unique attraction generates about 20,000 customers a year and has led to the creation of a spinoff Christmas Farm Drive-Through that brings more than 9,000 visitors to the county.

In 2023, the Granville Tourism Development Authority’s marketing objective for the Haunt Farm was to direct even more people to its website. The campaign resulted in a total of 550,000 impressions, a 93 percent increase in traffic, 95 percent increase in users and a 116 percent increase in number of page views.

To learn more, contact Allen at angela.allen@granvillecounty.org or 919.693.6125. See a complete listing of events at www.visitgranvillecnc.com .

Visit https://www.granvillehauntfarm.com/ and https://www.granvillechristmasfarm.com/ to read more about Blackwell’s events.

Vance County Logo

Board Of Elections: Week 1 Of Filing Period Yields Three Candidates In 2024 County Elections

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UPDATE 6PM ON 12-15-23

It looks like there will be two contested seats on the Vance County Board of Commissioners in next year’s election, with two candidates running for the District 1 seat and two candidates running in District 2. The two-week filing period ended at 12 noon today, Friday, Dec. 15.

Valencia L. Perry filed Friday for the District 2 seat and will face incumbent Archie B. Taylor, Jr., according to information provided by Shelly Wood, deputy director of the Vance County Board of Elections; Taylor filed last week. In addition to Taylor, three other commissioners filed to retain their seats on the board: Carolyn Faines in District 1; Leo Kelly in District 5 and Yolanda Feimster in District 6.

Faines also faces a challenger in next year’s election. William Heitman filed as a Republican candidate for the District 1 seat.

There are three seats up for election on the Vance County Board of Education, with District 5 the only contested race of the three. Incumbent Linda Cobb filed for re-election. She will face challenger William Earl Purvis, who filed on Wednesday as a Democratic candidate. Incumbent Dorothy Williams Gooche filed as the Democratic candidate for District 3 and Ayana Fritz Lewis filed as a Democratic candidate for District 4.

Primary elections will be held on March 5, 2024 and the general election is slated for Nov, 5, 2024.

(PLEASE ALLOW THIS CORRECTION TO THE ORIGINAL POST BELOW.  SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT 1 WAS ELECTED IN 2022 AND IS NOT UP FOR ELECTION AGAIN UNTIL 2026.)

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Original Post:

As the first week of the filing period for the 2024 general elections coms to a close, Vance County Board of Elections Director Jennifer Cocklin reports that two people have filed for county commissioners’ seats and one candidate has filed for re-election to the Board of Education. Candidates have until noon on Friday, Dec. 15 to file for four seats on the board of commission and four seats on the Vance County Board of Education.

Linda Cobb filed Friday as the Democratic candidate to retain her School Board District 5 seat.

On Thursday, William Heitman filed as a Republican candidate for the District 1 seat on the county board of commissioners, currently held by Carolyn Faines.

Leo Kelly, who was elected vice chair during Monday’s regular meeting of the county commissioners, filed for re-election to the District 5 seat on Tuesday.

County commissioners in districts 1,2,5 and 6 will be elected. Carolyn Faines holds the District 1 seat, Archie Taylor holds the District 2 seat, Leo Kelly is in District 5 and Yolanda Feimster is the District 6 commissioner.

Candidates for county commissioner will pay a $138.59 filing fee, payable by check, and must present a valid photo ID, live in the district they wish to file for and be 21 years old by Election Day. Primary elections will be held on March 5 and the general election is slated for Nov, 5, 2024.

Candidates for school board will pay a $72 filing fee. Seats in Districts 3,4 and 5 will be up for election.

Intolerant Behavior Disrupts More Than School Activity

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Tuesday night, December 5, the Vance County Vipers Basketball team hosted Louisburg, but the game was halted soon after it started when a fight broke out on the gym floor.

VCS Chief Officer for Communication Aarika Sandlin said, “No Vance County High School students were involved. Currently, an active investigation is taking place by the Vance County Sheriff’s (Office).”

Sheriff Curtis Brame said the fight led to his office “issuing citations for simple affray against four young males between the ages of 18-19.”

The Sheriff said, “Juvenile petitions are being taken out against the juveniles that are under the age of 18 for simple affray.”

It is not believed that the teams were involved in any way and apparently no one was injured.

What is not known and is the subject of the investigation is the gunshots outside the building. A vehicle was struck but the remainder of it, namely who did the shooting, what vehicle was hit, under what circumstances it was hit and more is what law enforcement continues to work on.

As to what’s next for the school and how the school system is handling it, Superintendent Dr. Cindy Bennett issued a statement to WIZS.

She said, “We are very disappointed with the behavior of several students from another district school as well as some adults who were present for the game (Tuesday) night at VCHS. Actions and behaviors such as this will not be tolerated and VCS has already added another layer of security and limited access for spectators and other guests at our athletic events. This behavior is not representative of VCHS nor VCS. I stand firmly on a no tolerance of dangerous behavior in the athletic spaces or on our campuses at any time.”

Man on Pretrial Release Arrested After Ongoing Drug Complaint

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— information from Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow

On December 6, 2023, the Henderson Police Department served two narcotic search warrants, one at Main Street Auto, 326 N. Garnett St., and the other at 115 Willow Oak Pl. in response to an ongoing drug complaint.

During the service of the warrant, approximately 47.5 grams of cocaine, 860 grams of marijuana, two firearms, drug manufacturing equipment, and $7,920.00 in cash were seized.

Carey Rogers, 41, was arrested in relation to this investigation.

Rogers was charged with: (2 counts) Trafficking Cocaine; Manufacturing Cocaine; Possession with Intent to Manufacture, Sell, Deliver Cocaine; Possession with Intent to Manufacture, Sell, Deliver Marijuana; (2 counts) Possession of a Firearm by a Felon; Maintaining a Dwelling Place for a Controlled Substance; Possession of a Stolen Vehicle; Possession of Marijuana Paraphernalia; Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, not Marijuana.

Rogers received no bond due to being on pretrial release.  He was remanded to the Vance County Jail.