Henderson Mayor Melissa Elliott Going to Bat for Kittrell Job Corps

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Henderson Mayor Melissa Elliott is going to bat for the future of the Kittrell Job Corps, which faces possible elimination in the recently passed FY26 budget that was signed into law on July 4.

Elliott sent letters to North Carolina Senators Thom Tillis and Ted Budd, as well as U.S. Congressman Don Davis.

The Kittrell Job Corps is one of 99 Job Corps centers, which provide residential programs designed to help low-income youth achieve education and career goals.

Although the program had been scheduled to be shut down on June 30 when the fiscal year ended, a temporary restraining order put in place days before has put a pause on the closures until a judge can rule on the matter.

Elliott told WIZS that she had traveled to Washington, D.C. to talk with the office of U.S. Rep. Don Davis about the matter.

Here’s the text of the letters, which were dated July 15, 2025:

“I’m writing to express strong support for the Kittrell Job Corps Center and to oppose the President’s FY26 budget proposal to eliminate the Job Corps program. I’m also deeply concerned about the current halt on student background checks, which has left over 12,000 young people in limbo and stalled their path to a better future.

As a proud Job Corps graduate and now Mayor of the City of Henderson, I have seen firsthand how this program transforms lives and strengthens communities. The Kittrell Job Corps Center trains more than 500 young adults annually. These students earn industry-recognized credentials in fields such as Culinary Arts, Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Facility Maintenance, Medical Administrative Assistant, Brick Masonry, Security Protective Services, and Advanced Human Services—often leading to full-time employment within months of graduation. At the same time, the campus directly supports approximately 135 staff jobs and injects over $15 million in federal funding into our region’s economy.

One example is Jerae York, a 23-year-old graduate who earned his high school diploma and Security Protective Services credentials at Kittrell before enlisting in the U.S. Navy. Now earning over $22 per hour and serving on active duty, Jerae credits Job Corps as the best thing that has happened in his life.

These are real outcomes. Real futures. Real value.

I respectfully urge you to contact the U.S. Department of Labor and the White House immediately to demand the resumption of student enrollments and continued funding for the Job Corps program. The loss of Kittrell would be devastating for my community.

Thank you for your leadership and commitment to North Carolina’s youth.”

SportsTalk: NFC East Preview

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SportsTalk 12:30 p.m. M-Th

Scout Hughes and Doc Ayscue preview the NFC East division and other teams as we get ready for pro football.

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Home and Garden Show

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On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.

  • The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8am to 1pm. Today they have tomatoes, snapbeans, beets, cabbages, yellow squash, zucchini squash, red irish potatoes, cantaloupes, watermelons, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, peaches, and canned items.
  • The 2025 Landowners and Heirs Property Workshop will be on July 24th, 2025 from 8am to 4:30pm at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.
  • Check for flooded rows after storms have passed open ends of rows to let excess water out.
  • Check harvest intervals  on the label before applying any chemical on crops that you will be harvesting soon.
  • Start planning your fall garden now.
  • Protect yourself with correct personal protective equipment. Such as a wide brim hat and safety glasses.
  • Keep that garden journal updated each day you work in the garden. Ex: spray schedule, top dressing with fertilizer.
  • If you hear thunder, it’s time to get out of the garden.
  • Let your children and grandchildren help in the garden and teach them now, they are our future gardeners.
  • If planning to renovate your in September take a soil sample now.
  • Carolina lawns is the best publication for having a good lawn.
  • If you have pumpkins, put a board under the pumpkins to get them off the ground.
  • Check houseplants dust weekly with a soft cloth.
  • Check storage areas for mice.

The Vance County Cooperative Extension is located at 305 Young St, Henderson, NC 27536

The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is located at 210 Southpark Dr., Henderson, NC 27536

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KVA’s Early Learning Center Gains Full Accreditation Status From Cognia

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— information courtesy of Kerr-Vance Academy

The Early Learning Center at Kerr-Vance Academy has earned full accreditation status by Cognia, an internationally recognized education accrediting body.

The ELC is for children from 18 months of age through 4 years, according to information from KVA Head of School Matthew McLaughlin.

In a press release announcing the news, McLaughlin stated that KVA’s K-12 program has maintained accreditation for more than 50 years, and with the addition of the ELC, it becomes the only fully accredited Early Learning Center in the area.

“This accomplishment reflects our deep commitment to educational excellence and holistic growth from the very beginning of a child’s development,” McLaughlin said.

“We’re proud to provide families with an exceptional foundation of learning that supports every stage of their journey.”

The accreditation process includes areas such as curriculum, staff expertise and dedication to continuous improvement.

McLaughlin stated that it also solidifies the school’s reputation as a leader in early childhood education across the region.

For more information about the KVA Early Learning Center and enrollment opportunities, visit www.kerrvance.com.

SportsTalk: Minor League Update and MLB All-Star Game

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SportsTalk 12:30 p.m. M-Th

Scout Hughes and Steve Lewis give an update on Minor League Baseball around the state of  North Carolina. The guys also talk about the MLB All-Star Game happening Tuesday Night, as well as a few players that were picked in the 2025 MLB Draft.

Friday MiLB Scores:

  • Durham Bulls 5 Nashville 4
  • Memphis 4 Charlotte 1
  • Greensboro 10 Bowling Green 7
  • Greenville 6 Winston-Salem 5
  • Hudson Valley 4 Asheville 3
  • Double Header
    • Hickory 4 Lynchburg 2
    • Hickory 4 Lynchburg 3
  • Fredericksburg 5 Carolina Mudcats 3
  • Kannapolis 5 Myrtle Beach 4
  • Fayetteville 8 Delmarva 6

Saturday MiLB Scores:

  • Nashville 13 Durham Bulls 1
  • Charlotte 10 Memphis 9
  • Asheville 6 Hudson Valley 3
  • Greensboro 10 Bowling Green 4
  • Winston-Salem 15 Greenville 5
  • Carolina Mudcats 5 Fredericksburg 3
  • Hickory 4 Lynchburg 0
  • Myrtle Beach 5 Kannapolis 0
  • Fayetteville 4 Delmarva 2

Sunday MiLB Scores:

  • Durham Bulls 4 Nashville 3
  • Charlotte 4 Memphis 2
  • Greensboro 4 Bowling Green 0 (Perfect Game)
  • Hudson Valley 3 Asheville 2
  • Winston-Salem 2 Greenville 1 (Suspended at the Top 3rd)
  • Kannapolis 4 Myrtle Beach 2
  • Lynchburg 11 Hickory 2
  • Delmarva 8 Fayetteville 3
  • Carolina Mudcats vs. Fredericksburg – Postponed for Rain

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TownTalk: Henderson City Council July Meeting, Investigations Coming

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The Henderson City Council met Monday night for its regular monthly meeting to conduct routine city business but then went into closed session to discuss a personnel matter.

Mayor Melissa Elliott said she would entertain a motion to go into closed session.

The Council did vote to adjourn into closed session, which had not been included on the agenda that was sent to the press and posted on the city’s webpage.

Upon returning to open session, it was learned that Mayor pro tem Garry Daeke and Councilperson Geraldine Champion will work together to be the liaisons for separate, independent, third-party investigations that will be taking place into two matters: one involving employee surveys pertaining to the mayor and a second that involves accusations made against the manager.

The Council voted unanimously to make Daeke the liaison between the council and the two independent, third-party investigating entities that will look into the matters.

Champion requested that all information that is learned during the investigation be shared with the entire council, to which Daeke replied that would certainly be the case.

The procedure of discussion and voting got a bit complicated when Elliott suggested that Champion join Daeke as a liaison, but that suggestion did turn into what happened.

It’s unclear whether there was an addendum to the original motion or whether a secondary motion was made to include Champion as a liaison. Nevertheless, the vote was 6-2, with Council members Lamont Noel and Sam Seifert voting against the motion.

No further details were discussed about who will conduct the investigations, when they will commence, how long they should take or when results will be available.

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Perry Memorial Library

The Local Skinny! July Is Poppin’ With Activities At Perry Memorial Library

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The Perry Memorial Library is filled with books and other reading material for patrons to enjoy, but reading and literacy find their ways into so many aspects of summertime activities, books are just the beginning of the fun!

If you missed Tuesday’s 4 p.m. Color My World In Comics program with Curtis M. Harvey, Jr., there’s one more chance to learn about his book, “The Perfect Pair,” which he wrote and illustrated.

Harvey will be back for the finale of the Vance County Reads program on July 29, according to Youth Services Librarian Melody Peters. The event is from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Please register at Signup Genius or simply go to https://www.perrylibrary.org/home and find the flyer that has the link and a QR code.

Peters reeled off a dizzying number of programs and events that are coming up in the next couple of weeks as summer stretches into late July and August.

“We are just having such a great turnout for our programs,” Peters told WIZS’s Scout Hughes on the Tuesday segment of The Local Skinny! program.

She prepared staff for the several hundred or so kiddos that were going to be coming through the library Tuesday for the various programs that are taking place.

She said she was expecting at least 50 young people for the Color My World in Comics, during which Harvey, who grew up in Henderson, would discuss how he came to write and illustrate the children’s book that was published in 2024.

The Vance County Reads programs culminates at the end of July with Harvey and local author Angie Ellington, author of “Autumn at Apple Hill.” Peters said multiple copies of both books were available in places all over the county for residents to pick up, read and either keep or return for others to enjoy.

Having homegrown authors come back and share their experience is important, she said. “They do want to give back,” Peters said. “It’s a good way to have an impact on your community.”

Families can come to the library on Sunday, July 20 for another installment of Family Story Time. The upcoming theme is Crayons, in keeping with the Color My World summer reading theme, and Peters said there will surely be creative crayon art activities following the story.

Thrilling Thursdays offers something for all ages at the library, Peters said.

There’s a 10 a.m. story time for groups and homeschoolers, then there’s a repeat at 11 a.m. during the Mother Goose Story Time for the general public.

Then, come 3:30 p.m., there’s a quick story time for busy families on the go – a story and bubbles and, boom! you’re back out the door, Peters said.

The LEGO Club cranks up at 4 p.m. and the Teen Space opens its doors at 4 p.m. for gaming and snacks.

And if that’s not enough, there’s one more free movie scheduled for Tuesday, July 22 at 11 a.m.

The final installment is Sonic3, another in the adventures and misadventures of that iconic video game character as he takes to the Big Screen once again.

A final hurrah happens not at the library but at the Community House at Satterwhite Point on Kerr Lake at 11 a.m. on Thursday, July 31 – everyone’s welcome for freeze pops and Mother Goose story time.

Peters thanks the Kerr Lake State Parks folks for partnering again this year to make this event possible. There’s no entry fee associated with the story time – just tell the person at the gate that you’re coming to the Mother Goose Story Time!

Visit https://www.perrylibrary.org/home for a complete listing of programs, activities and more that the library offers.

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