In a 4-2 vote, the Vance County Board of Commissioners Monday terminated funding for the Vance County Rescue Squad, effective Sept. 30, 2025.
The county did not renew the contract with the rescue squad, which expired on June 30, but commissioners agreed to a 90-day extension. That extension ends Sept. 30.
During a joint meeting last week of the county’s public safety committee and the fire commission, the discussion ramped up to include the possibility of merging the Vance County Fire Department and the Vance County Rescue Squad, a 501(c)3 organization established in 1953.
Several people spoke Monday night to commissioners in support of the rescue squad during the public comment portion of the meeting, among them, Brandon Link, president of the Vance County Firefighters Association.
County Manager C. Renee Perry told commissioners that the county has the authority to reduce or terminate funding for the rescue squad, but not to dissolve the rescue squad, which is a volunteer organization.
Commissioner Tommy Hester’s motion to terminate funding, effective Sept. 30, was seconded by Commissioner Leo Kelly.
Commissioners Dan Brummitt and Valencia Perry cast the “no” votes and Commissioners Hester, Kelly, Chair Carolyn Faines and Charisse Fain cast votes in favor of the termination. Commissioner Feimster was absent.
“I want to save taxpayers money,” Hester said. “I want to move forward. I think we’ve got the fire chief to do it,” he said.
Commissioner Perry said, “We need to slow it down,” with regard to making a decision whether to continue funding the rescue squad, which got applause from the audience.
Commissioner Kelly said it’s a matter of looking at consolidation, not trying to put anyone out of business.
“Their service is valuable,” Kelly said, referring to the Vance County Rescue Squad.
During a joint meeting last week of the Vance County Firefighter’s Association and the Vance County Commissioner Public Safety Committee, Vance County Fire Department Chief Marvin Harrison said, “Let us move forward, grounded in truth and committed to collaboration, for the good of the public we are sworn to protect.”
At that joint meeting, Manager Perry said, “I have so much confidence in the Vance County Fire Department. If the commissioners choose to end the contract on sept. 30, I have no doubt in my mind that the Vance County citizens will be ok.“
The outcome is contrary to what the fire association said it wanted in a letter written after its mid-July meeting. The fire association wanted the Rescue Squad funded the same as other volunteer departments in Vance County, with a contract for 2025-2028 in place.
Click Play for TownTalk Audio on 8-5-25 AFTER the Vance County Commissioners Meeting
*********************************
Click Play for TownTalk Audio on 8-4-25 BEFORE the Vance County Commissioners Meeting
UPDATE 8-4-25 BEFORE the Vance County Commissioners Meeting
Members of the Vance County Firefighter’s Association and Vance County Commissioners Public Safety Committee held a joint meeting last week to continue discussions about the future – and fate – of the Vance County Rescue Squad.
The Vance County Board of Commissioners did not renew a contract with the rescue squad, which ended on June 30. The commissioners did, however, agree to a 90-day extension. That period ends Sept. 30, 2025.
During the joint meeting, County Manager C. Renee Perry said the item would be on tonight’s agenda for the commissioners’ regular monthly meeting, which begins at 6 p.m.
Commissioner Dan Brummitt, a member of the Public Safety Committee, shared contents of a letter signed by seven members of the Vance County Firefighters Association which offered support for the rescue squad.
“The association sees the benefit of the Vance County Rescue Squad and supports that organization and their mission to protect the citizens of Vance County,” the letter states.
“The certifications, equipment, and experience of the rescue squad, serving continuously since 1953, are an asset to all fire departments and citizens in Vance County,” it continued. The letter called for the county to reinstate the three-year contract with the rescue squad for 2025-28 and that the rescue squad be fully funded in 2025-26 just like all the other departments.
Brummitt said, “These are the guys that are out in the field. These are the guys that know what they’re doing and these are the ones that put their lives on the line every day and they’re asking for the support of the rescue squad. So I can’t see how we can do anything any different.”
Back in 2023, a fire study completed by AP Triton recommended that the county consider merging or at least increasing collaboration between the Vance County Fire Department and the Vance County Rescue Squad, County Manager C. Renee Perry reminded.
If the two entities merge, Perry said the rescue squad members would have to apply for positions with the Vance County Fire Dept and be part-time personnel. She said she didn’t know how a merger would affect the rescue squad assets (equipment). The rescue squad has been in operation since 1953 and is a nonprofit organization. Its members are volunteers.
Brummitt said he would get behind creating a combination department to allow to have paid staff and volunteers, just like the county’s other fire departments.
“It would save money and would allow us to spend money in other areas of the county to offer equal protection to all of our citizens in the county,” Brummitt said.
Brummitt continued, “It would not do away with the department, it would do away with the structure of the department.”
To which Perry said, “The study did not recommend that.” It recommended that the Vance County Fire Department (Golden Belt) remain a career fire department.
Brummitt took issue with other findings in the 2023 fire study, including response times. He said some redistricting could improve call times.
WIZS Radio Henderson Local News 08-07-25 Noon
/by WIZS StaffListen On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
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Cooperative Extension with Jamon Glover: Bedtime Problems pt. 3
/by WIZS StaffJamon Glover, on the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report:
We continue our series on working with children with bedtime problems. This time we talk about how to keep your child in the bed after they have already been put to bed.
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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Local Man Faces Drug Charges; Cocaine, Marijuana, Guns, Cash Among Items Seized During Search Warrant
/by WIZS Staff— from the office of Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame
On Tuesday, August 5, 2025, members of the Vance County Sheriff’s Office VICE/Narcotics Unit, the NC State Bureau of Investigation and the Henderson Police Department Narcotics Unit executed a search warrant at 125 Harrison Ave., Henderson, after an extensive joint investigation into cocaine trafficking at the residence.
Investigators located and seized cocaine, MDMA (Ecstasy), and marijuana, firearms, U.S. currency and other items of drug manufacturing equipment from the residence.
Baldwin Lemuel Bates, Jr., 44, was arrested and charged with trafficking cocaine, trafficking MDMA, manufacture cocaine, possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver marijuana, felony possession of marijuana, and possession of firearm by felon, two counts of possession of stolen firearm, and two counts of maintaining a dwelling for selling controlled substances (x2).
Bates was given a $780,000 secured bond pending a court hearing in Vance County court.
SportsTalk: Vance County Middle School Football Ready To Roll
/by Scout HughesVance County Middle School Football Head Coach Michael Rice joins SportsTalk with Scout Hughes and Doc Ayscue to speak about the Jaguars upcoming season and how the team has prepared for the games ahead.
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TownTalk: Commissioners Vote 4-2 To End Funding For Vance County Rescue Squad
/by John C. RoseThe Vance County Rescue Squad, in operation since 1953 as a nonprofit organization, will not get funding from the county commissioners beyond the 3-month contract extension that ends Sept. 30. Listen to TownTalk for a more detailed analysis of what the contract termination could mean for the rescue squad and how it may operate in the future. Plus, some attempted explanation about the investment Vance County seems to want to make. And, what we may hear next about these matters.
(The audio file below has been edited to remove an inaccuracy from when it was originally broadcast. A correction has also been made on air.)
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WIZS Radio Henderson Local News 08-06-25 Noon
/by WIZS StaffListen On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
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The Local Skinny! Summer Reading Program Highlights And New Fall Programs At Perry Memorial Library
/by Laura GabelPerry Memorial Library Youth Services librarian Melody Peters likens reading to physical exercise: Reading exercises your brain just like physical activity exercises your body.
And as Peters reflects on the success of the recently completed summer reading program,
participants got a lot of brain exercise!
She told WIZS’s Scout Hughes that more than 600 youngsters and adults participated in the summer reading program sponsored by the library. The goal was to read a minimum of 30 minutes a day over a seven-week period, complete a reading log and turn it in for prizes each week.
Peters and staff knew that participation was bigger than last year’s, but when she looked at the numbers, she said it was double last year’s program. And those 600+ participants recorded 688,000 minutes of reading time.
“It was amazing,” she said. “It is mind-blowing…very exciting to see the growth.” She said there were lots of return participants, but so many new people and new families also joined the fun.
All the prizes, incentives and coupons were donated from area businesses, Peters said. “We were so grateful that they were all donated…and we gave them right back into the community.”
As the dust settles at the library after such a successful summer program, Peters said she’s happy to report a couple of new programs will launch this fall to take their place among the library’s existing regular programs.
One is a new Life Skills program on the second Thursday of the month. A team from Coastal Credit Union will help teens learn about financial money matters over the course of a few months. And then the Life Skills time slot will focus on other types of basic skills, from sewing on a button to basic carpentry.
And then on Fridays in the fall, there’s Baby Rave at 10:30 a.m. and Parachute Play at 11:30 a.m. Baby Rave is for children 0-2 years and Parachute Play is for children ages 3-5. The dates are Sept. 5, Oct. 3 and Nov. 7.
Not one to rest on her laurels, you’ll find Peters at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market tomorrow – Wednesday, Aug. 6 – at 10 a.m. for a special Story Time at the market to celebrate National Farmers Market Week.
Visit www.perrylibrary.org to learn about all the programs and services at your public library.
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Register To Vote By Sept. 12 In Upcoming Municipal Elections
/by WIZS StaffVoter registration deadlines are approaching for eligible North Carolinians who wish to vote on Election Day in October and November municipal elections.
Municipal elections in Vance County take place Tuesday, Oct. 7. The deadline to register to vote in this election is 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 12.
The N.C. State Board of Elections has issued a press release with details and requirements about voter registration.
“To vote in a municipal election, you must be a resident of the municipality. Working within city, town, or village limits does not make a voter eligible to vote in municipal elections. Similarly, while a voter’s postal address may indicate a municipality, that does not always mean their residence is within the incorporated boundaries of the municipality,” the press release stated.
Check the state board’s Voter Search tool, to determine if you live in an area that conducts municipal elections by finding a municipality under “Your Jurisdictions.”
Eligible individuals who miss the regular registration deadlines may register and vote at the same time during the in-person early voting period at any early voting site in their county, if early voting is available in their municipality. County-by-county early voting sites and schedules can be found at the State Board of Elections’ Early Voting Site Search, once they are available for each election. Learn more at Vote Early in Person.
Eligible individuals have many options to register to vote, including the following:
If an application is received after the deadline, it will be timely if it is postmarked on or before the deadline date. If the postmark is missing or unclear, the application will be processed if it is received in the mail no later than 20 days before the election. Otherwise, the application will not be processed until after the election. If submitted by fax or e-mail, the application must be received by 5 p.m. on the deadline date, and a hard copy of the document must be delivered to the county board office by 20 days before the election.
North Carolina residents may not register to vote on Election Day, unless they become eligible after the registration deadline due to becoming a U.S. citizen or having their rights restored following a felony conviction.
Requirements for Registering
To register to vote, a person must:
Updating a Voter’s Registration
Voters who need to update their existing voter registration may use the NCDMV website or a regular voter registration application.
Those with a North Carolina driver’s license or other NCDMV identification may update their residential or mailing address and party affiliation through the NCDMV online service but may not change their name through that service.
If using the paper application to update a registration, it must be signed and mailed to the voter’s county board of elections by the registration deadline. Updates to name, address (if within the county), and party affiliation must be signed, but can be provided by fax or email to your county board of elections. If a voter is using the paper form to update their residential address to a new county, they must return the paper form by mail or in person.
WIZS Radio Henderson Local News 08-05-25 Noon
/by WIZS StaffListen On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
Click Play!
TownTalk: Commissioners Terminate Funding and Contract Relationship with “Rescue Squad”
/by WIZS StaffIn a 4-2 vote, the Vance County Board of Commissioners Monday terminated funding for the Vance County Rescue Squad, effective Sept. 30, 2025.
The county did not renew the contract with the rescue squad, which expired on June 30, but commissioners agreed to a 90-day extension. That extension ends Sept. 30.
During a joint meeting last week of the county’s public safety committee and the fire commission, the discussion ramped up to include the possibility of merging the Vance County Fire Department and the Vance County Rescue Squad, a 501(c)3 organization established in 1953.
Several people spoke Monday night to commissioners in support of the rescue squad during the public comment portion of the meeting, among them, Brandon Link, president of the Vance County Firefighters Association.
County Manager C. Renee Perry told commissioners that the county has the authority to reduce or terminate funding for the rescue squad, but not to dissolve the rescue squad, which is a volunteer organization.
Commissioner Tommy Hester’s motion to terminate funding, effective Sept. 30, was seconded by Commissioner Leo Kelly.
Commissioners Dan Brummitt and Valencia Perry cast the “no” votes and Commissioners Hester, Kelly, Chair Carolyn Faines and Charisse Fain cast votes in favor of the termination. Commissioner Feimster was absent.
“I want to save taxpayers money,” Hester said. “I want to move forward. I think we’ve got the fire chief to do it,” he said.
Commissioner Perry said, “We need to slow it down,” with regard to making a decision whether to continue funding the rescue squad, which got applause from the audience.
Commissioner Kelly said it’s a matter of looking at consolidation, not trying to put anyone out of business.
“Their service is valuable,” Kelly said, referring to the Vance County Rescue Squad.
During a joint meeting last week of the Vance County Firefighter’s Association and the Vance County Commissioner Public Safety Committee, Vance County Fire Department Chief Marvin Harrison said, “Let us move forward, grounded in truth and committed to collaboration, for the good of the public we are sworn to protect.”
At that joint meeting, Manager Perry said, “I have so much confidence in the Vance County Fire Department. If the commissioners choose to end the contract on sept. 30, I have no doubt in my mind that the Vance County citizens will be ok.“
The outcome is contrary to what the fire association said it wanted in a letter written after its mid-July meeting. The fire association wanted the Rescue Squad funded the same as other volunteer departments in Vance County, with a contract for 2025-2028 in place.
Click Play for TownTalk Audio on 8-5-25 AFTER the Vance County Commissioners Meeting
*********************************
Click Play for TownTalk Audio on 8-4-25 BEFORE the Vance County Commissioners Meeting
UPDATE 8-4-25 BEFORE the Vance County Commissioners Meeting
Members of the Vance County Firefighter’s Association and Vance County Commissioners Public Safety Committee held a joint meeting last week to continue discussions about the future – and fate – of the Vance County Rescue Squad.
The Vance County Board of Commissioners did not renew a contract with the rescue squad, which ended on June 30. The commissioners did, however, agree to a 90-day extension. That period ends Sept. 30, 2025.
During the joint meeting, County Manager C. Renee Perry said the item would be on tonight’s agenda for the commissioners’ regular monthly meeting, which begins at 6 p.m.
Commissioner Dan Brummitt, a member of the Public Safety Committee, shared contents of a letter signed by seven members of the Vance County Firefighters Association which offered support for the rescue squad.
“The association sees the benefit of the Vance County Rescue Squad and supports that organization and their mission to protect the citizens of Vance County,” the letter states.
“The certifications, equipment, and experience of the rescue squad, serving continuously since 1953, are an asset to all fire departments and citizens in Vance County,” it continued. The letter called for the county to reinstate the three-year contract with the rescue squad for 2025-28 and that the rescue squad be fully funded in 2025-26 just like all the other departments.
Brummitt said, “These are the guys that are out in the field. These are the guys that know what they’re doing and these are the ones that put their lives on the line every day and they’re asking for the support of the rescue squad. So I can’t see how we can do anything any different.”
Back in 2023, a fire study completed by AP Triton recommended that the county consider merging or at least increasing collaboration between the Vance County Fire Department and the Vance County Rescue Squad, County Manager C. Renee Perry reminded.
If the two entities merge, Perry said the rescue squad members would have to apply for positions with the Vance County Fire Dept and be part-time personnel. She said she didn’t know how a merger would affect the rescue squad assets (equipment). The rescue squad has been in operation since 1953 and is a nonprofit organization. Its members are volunteers.
Brummitt said he would get behind creating a combination department to allow to have paid staff and volunteers, just like the county’s other fire departments.
“It would save money and would allow us to spend money in other areas of the county to offer equal protection to all of our citizens in the county,” Brummitt said.
Brummitt continued, “It would not do away with the department, it would do away with the structure of the department.”
To which Perry said, “The study did not recommend that.” It recommended that the Vance County Fire Department (Golden Belt) remain a career fire department.
Brummitt took issue with other findings in the 2023 fire study, including response times. He said some redistricting could improve call times.