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Final Candidate List For Henderson’s Oct. 7 Municipal Election

The filing period for the Oct. 7 municipal elections ended at 12 noon today, Friday, July 18. Each of the four ward seats for Henderson City Council has multiple candidates seeking the position, according to information from Vance County Board of Elections Deputy Director Shelly Wood.

Here is the complete listing of candidates, in alphabetical order:

Henderson City Council Ward 1 at large:

Geraldine Champion

Sara M. Coffey (incumbent)

Kenia Gomez-Jimenez

Clementine “Tina” Hunter

Henderson City Council Ward 2 at large:

Benjamin Buckner

George L. Mayo

Lamont Noel (incumbent)

Henderson City Council Ward 3:

Garry Daeke (incumbent)

Clifford “Cliff” High

Jason A. Spriggs

Deryl “Ms. Dee” vonWilliams

Henderson City Council Ward 4:

Catherine “Kitty” Gill

Fred Robertson

Ola Thorpe-Cooper (incumbent)

Filings for the municipalities of Kittrell and Middleburg:

Kittrell mayor:

Gene Pulley

Kittrell town commissioner:

Mary Jo Floyd

Susan Pulley

Robert B. Tunstall

Middleburg mayor:

Ray Bullock

Middleburg town council:

Hazel A. Baskett

Shirley H. Bullock

Mamie Turner

Maria Parham Health Earns American Heart Association Award For Commitment To Stroke Care

– Information courtesy of Maria Parham Health Public Information Officer Donna Young

Maria Parham Health has received recognition from the American Heart Association for its commitment to high-quality stroke care, earning the Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award. The award is given for dedication to following evidence-based clinical guidelines that improve patient outcomes for stroke care.

Maria Parham Health also received the Target: StrokeSM Honor Roll Elite award, which recognizes hospitals that meet specific benchmarks to reduce the time between a stroke patient’s arrival and the administration of clot-busting medication, known as thrombolytic therapy. These efforts are critical in saving lives and reducing the long-term impact of strokes.

“Maria Parham Health is committed to improving patient care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines,” said Bert Beard, chief executive officer of Maria Parham Health. “Get With The Guidelines makes it easier for our teams to apply proven strategies every day, which studies show can help patients recover better. The end goal is to ensure more people in Vance County and the surrounding communities can experience longer, healthier lives.”

Stroke is the fifth-leading cause of death and a major cause of long-term disability in the United States. The American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke program aims to ensure that patients receive care aligned with the most current evidence-based treatment practices.

“We are incredibly pleased to recognize Maria Parham Health for its commitment to caring for patients with stroke,” said Dr. Steven Messe, volunteer chair of the American Heart Association Stroke System of Care Advisory Group. “Participation in Get With The Guidelines is associated with improved outcomes, fewer hospital readmissions and reduced mortality rates — a benefit to patients, families and the health care system as a whole.”

Hospitals earn recognition through the program by demonstrating consistent adherence to performance measures, including timely diagnosis and treatment, and by educating patients and families on managing health post-discharge to aid in recovery and prevent recurrence.

SportsTalk: Wrapping up the NFC North & Preview of the Panthers

SportsTalk 12:30 p.m. M-Th

Scout Hughes and Doc Ayscue finish their preview of the NFC North for the football season. The guys also preview the Carolina Panthers and how they improved in the offseason.

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The Local Skinny! City Council Approves Funding from Opioid Settlement

 

The Henderson City Council approved funding two projects as it continues to spend down its opioid settlement money.

Community Partners of Hope asked for $140,000 to create a community recovery and resilience center. It will work in close partnership with Vance Recovery – in fact, the space beside Vance Recovery’s Andrews Avenue location will be renovated to provide services that also will include other working with other community agencies to provide support to those in crisis.

Jane King and John Mattocks provided an overview of the program proposal from their different perspectives, King from CPOH and Mattocks from Vance Recovery.

The money will allow CPOH to expand its services and be a resource not just for homeless men, King said, but for families in need, something Mattocks told Council members Monday had been “sorely missing.”

Over the next few years, the goal is to be a resource for prevention, reducing and eliminating recidivism and ER visits, as well as overdose deaths. Another component will be CPR training and how to administer Narcan.

“We want to be a welcoming place for people who are suffering the stigma of addiction,” Mattocks said, adding that having connections with other community resources like Day Mark’s mental health component as well as NC Works for employment opportunities.

Mattocks expects to take a few months to renovate the adjacent space and hiring an administrator before the program can be ready to serve.

Another $50,000 was approved to create two Recovery Alive homes – one for men and one for women.

Recovery Alive, Inc.’s CEO, Tisha Temple, defines an RA home as Christ-centered, sober living homes for individuals who have completed a treatment program and who are ready to begin next steps toward independent living.

“We are super excited about the work that we get to do with Henderson,” Temple told WIZS News. Temple is a native of Henderson and has been sober for the past 11 years.

She currently lives in Johnston County, and started the Recovery Alive, Inc. ministry there about four years ago.

Since then, more RA homes have been established in other North Carolina counties, as well as West Virginia and Alabama.

Temple said, “There is a need in Henderson and Vance County, and the money is just sitting in the bank,” she said of the opioid settlement funds disbursed thus far to Henderson.

“We’re going to be able to help save some lives and restore some peace and serenity to our surrounding areas, if we are able to utilize the funding in a way that is evidence-based and proven effective to make a difference.”

The next step for Temple is to identify and lease two properties in Henderson to create the homes, one for men and one for women and then prepare them for occupancy – they’ll be fully furnished to create a real home atmosphere. The residents will be responsible for paying household bills, and will get help and support with those independent daily living skills to prepare them to go out on their own and be successful.

She’s seen the concept work in the other RA homes, where residents grow, learn and move out to begin their lives anew.

“It’s a beautiful thing to see,” she said. “We’re grateful for the opportunity to serve.

I’m excited to be able to expand what we’re doing out to Henderson – we are very grateful.”

Temple is so passionate about the RA homes because a similar type of program helped her get back on her feet. She’s come a long way from being a homeless addict on the streets of Henderson and she wants to be able to offer others the help that she received.

“I know that we can get better. I know that with the right resources, the right support system and with the right levels of recovery care that people, communities and families can not only get better, we can help other people get better.”

The $7.4 billion opioid settlement will support opioid addiction treatment, prevention and recovery programs over the next 15 years in all 50 states, Washington, D.C.  and four U.S. territories.

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Chamber Of Commerce Sends Letter To Mayor, Council Members

The Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors has sent a letter to the mayor and City Council members asking that local elected officials conduct meetings in a positive, constructive manner.

Chamber Board President Scott Burwell signed the letter, as well as Beth Townsend and Kevin Wade, co-chairs of the Chamber’s Government & Public Affairs Committee.

The letter was cc’d to City Attorney Hassan T. Kingsberry, Chamber President Sandra Wilkerson and members of the Chamber board.

The letter is dated July 1, and reads as follows:

Dear Mayor and City Council Members:

I hope this message finds you well. The Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce represents the interests of the business community in matters that affect the ability of local businesses to prosper and grow, and the ability of Henderson and Vance County to attract new businesses.  I am writing to respectfully encourage you, local elected officials, to conduct open meetings and business-related meetings in a manner that promotes productive dialogue, economic growth, and positive business relations.

Effective governance relies not only on policy but also on the tone and conduct of those in public service. When decision-making is rooted in civility, collaboration, and strategic thinking, it fosters a stable environment where businesses can plan, invest, and grow with confidence. In contrast, divisiveness and unproductive behavior can undermine investor confidence, stall progress, and weaken our region’s economic competitiveness.

Our local business community—small and large enterprises alike—looks to leadership for consistency, transparency, and a commitment to creating a supportive economic environment. On behalf of the Chamber member businesses, the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors urges you to continue championing policies and practices that strengthen partnerships, encourage innovation, and attract long-term investment.

Thank you for your service and dedication to our community. I appreciate your consideration of this request and look forward to seeing continued leadership that reflects the values and priorities of the business community you represent.

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Cooperative Extension with Jamon Glover: Raising Emotionally Intelligent Kids

Jamon Glover, on the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report:

We speak about raising emotional intelligent children. We also discuss more about the Supporting Father Involvement Initiative.

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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Henderson Mayor Melissa Elliott Going to Bat for Kittrell Job Corps

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

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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