Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Vance County Vs. Northern Durham Recap

/by

A look back at Friday night’s game between Vance County and Northern Durham.

(Our coverage for this story is available by clicking play.)

 

Relief Programs For Qualified Homeowners May Reduce Sting From Tax Bill

/by

The deadline to appeal 2024 property tax valuations has passed, and technically, so has the deadline for qualified homeowners to try to get some relief from those tax bills, due before Jan. 6, 2025 to avoid a 2 percent interest penalty.

June 1 was the deadline to appeal – and apparently to apply for the three programs listed on the Vance County Tax Office website, according to Vance County Deputy Tax Assessor Jennifer Williams.

“After that date, the Tax Office cannot approve or deny any applications, but citizens can appeal their late applications to the Board (of Commissioners) up until the end of the calendar year for which they are applying,” Williams explained in a response to a question sent via email to the tax office late last week.

Commissioners Chair Dan Brummitt said that, to his knowledge, the board has “never denied a senior, veteran, exemption. Folks don’t always see the dates, so we try to work with people,” Brummitt told WIZS News.

The 2024 tax bills were sent out in late August, following the most recent property revaluation required by the state to be completed at least every eight years. The last property revaluation in Vance County was completed in 2016. Some property owners have seen a significant increase over last year’s bill, and the county wants to make sure that eligible homeowners know about the three programs offered.

Below are details of those programs:

  • Elderly or disabled exclusion – this program is for homeowners at least 65 years old or who are totally or permanently disabled and whose 2023 income was $36,700 or less. The program excludes from taxation the first $25,000 or half (whichever is greater) of the assessed value of the permanent residence.
  • The circuit breaker tax deferment program limits the amount of annual property tax the owner owes. Taxes above a certain amount are deferred, but will be due – with interest – if there is a disqualifying event. This program requires the recipient apply each year; if annual income is $36,700 or less, taxes will be limited to 4 percent of  total income. If income is between $36,700 and $55,050, that limit is 5 percent.
  • A program for disabled veterans – or the unmarried surviving spouse of a disabled veteran – excludes up to the first $45,000 of the appraised value of a permanent residence. For purposes of this program, a disabled veteran is defined as a veteran “whose character of service at separation was honorable or under honorable conditions, and who has a total and permanent service-connected disability or who received benefits for specially adapted housing under 38 U.S.C. 2101.” Although there is no age or income requirement for this program, part of the application must be completed by the Dept. of Veterans Affairs. For more info, about veterans services, visit  vancecounty.org … and click on departments and go to veterans-service-office

Find details on the three programs at:  www.vancecounty.org and click on departments then click on tax-overview and go to property-tax-relief-programs.

Or call the tax office at 252.738-2040 or email taxoffice@vancecounty.org.

Click Play!

 

Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Fire Ants

/by

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

Click Play!

 

Suspect Charged In Deadly Early-Morning Shooting

/by

– press release from Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow

 

On September 14, 2024, at approximately 1:40 AM, officers of the Henderson Police Department were dispatched to 1126 Maple Street in response to a shooting.

Upon arrival, they found Romids A. Miles, age 40, with a gunshot wound. Life-saving measures were administered by Henderson Police officers and Vance County Sheriff Deputies until EMS arrived. Additionally, Sylvester Deon Burton, age 38, was found at the scene with a gunshot wound to his leg.

Romids A. Miles was taken to a medical facility where he later succumbed to his injuries. Sylvester Burton was also transported to a nearby medical facility and was listed in stable condition.

During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that there had been a physical altercation between Romids A. Miles and a man named Darius Donzell Harris, age 33, in the recent past, which likely led to the shooting at 1126 Maple Street.

At around 4:20 AM, officers were informed that Darius Donzell Harris was seeking treatment at Granville Medical for injuries linked to the incident at 1126 Maple Street. Upon his release, he was taken to the Henderson Police Department and processed for the shooting death of Romids A. Miles.

Darius Donzell Harris was then taken to the Magistrate’s Office, where he was denied bond for the charge of Murder and transported to the Vance County Detention Center pending his next court appearance.

We are still seeking further information about this incident. If anyone has information about this incident, please contact us through Henderson-Vance Crime Stoppers at 252 492.1925 or the P3 app, call us at 252.438.4141, or reach out to us through Facebook or Instagram

Mike Waters

Death Investigation Suggests 21-Year-Old Died By Suicide

/by

The Vance County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the death of a 21-year-old man who was found Wednesday morning, but District Attorney Mike Waters said the man apparently took his own life.

In a phone interview with WIZS News on Friday afternoon, Waters said he had reviewed evidence in the case and the evidence suggests that Javion Magee, of Aurora, IL, died from an apparent suicide.

The investigation is ongoing in the case, but Waters provided some details.

He said sheriff’s deputies responded to a 911 call about a man who “appeared to be hanging from a tree.”

“He was in a supine position, basically like he sat down,” Waters added, “with his feet touching the ground, but (he) did have a rope tied around his neck, in such a manner as to asphyxiate himself.”

Further investigation at the scene turned up a Walmart bag containing packaging that had a barcode, which led investigators to a local Walmart where they obtained a video of the subject entering the store by himself and purchasing a rope that was recovered at the scene.

That rope is currently in evidence.

The subject drove his tractor trailer rig, minus the trailer, to a nearby hotel where he inquired about a room, but none was available, Waters continued. He drove to a nearby distribution facility where he parked the tractor, “and that video shows him walking into the woods with a white plastic bag,” Waters said. “He was found very close to where he was last seen.”

None of the video footage shows Magee was accompanied by anyone else. “He did not appear to have anybody with him at any point,” Waters said.

The investigation is ongoing, and an autopsy will be performed by the chief medical examiner, as Sheriff Curtis Brame explained in a press statement released earlier Friday.

Waters said a search warrant will be issued for the vehicle Magee was driving to attempt to recover any digital evidence including phone records.

Sheriff Brame: Death Investigation Continues After Body Found Wednesday On Vanco Mill Road

/by

The Vance County Sheriff’s office is investigating the death of a 21-year-old man whose body was found Wednesday on Vanco Mill Road.

Sheriff Curtis Brame said deputies responded to a call for service about a deceased person just after 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 285 Vanco Mill Rd.

The Vance County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division responded to the scene to conduct a death investigation into the incident. During the investigation, the male victim was identified as Javion Magee from Aurora, IL, a southern suburb of Chicago.

As Brame told WIZS News and as he stated in the press release, “Magee was transported to the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for Autopsy,” which would be as described standard procedure.

Sheriff Brame has asked for an independent investigation and the State Bureau of Investigations is expected to do so, to review and possibly corroborate the Vance County investigation.

Near the Vanco Mill Road address are several businesses, plus the local bus station, as well as the U.S. 1 entrance and exit ramps.

The Sheriff will not be offering additional information until the results of the autopsy are known.

This case remains under investigation. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Vance County Sheriff’s Office at 252.738.2200 or the Henderson-Vance Crime Stoppers at 252.492.1925 or through the P3 App.

Sowing Seeds NC, Inc. Named 2024 VGCC Small Business Of The Year

/by

The Vance-Granville Community College Small Business Center recently named a Franklin County family-owned farm as the recipient of the Small Business of the Year award.

Sowing Seeds NC, Inc. is the nonprofit food ministry of Mcphetridge Family Farms, a sustainable small farm located outside Franklinton.

Leadership joined Franklin County officials and community members as the VGCC Small Business Center presented Sowing Seeds NC, Inc., with its 2024 Small Business of the Year award.

Joni and Todd McPhetridge had a passion for combatting food insecurity long before moving to the Franklinton area in 2018. A few years later, a local food pantry began sharing their leftover items with the McPhetridges, who figured the farm animals could consume items past their prime—but when they realized some of the food was still good, the McPhetridges decided to share with friends and family. The pantry began supplying more items to support this new initiative, to the point the family had to start announcing the extras on social media to make sure they did not go to waste.

By early 2023, the McPhetridges realized their ministry was growing consistently enough to warrant its own air-conditioned building, somewhere to keep food preserved in the summer. They officially launched Sowing Seeds NC, Inc. and they have grown tremendously since. According to their website, the organization has already served over 13,400 individuals this year, and they anticipate serving 31,800 by the end of 2024. A small team of volunteers regularly helps unload and organize food, as well as man the pantry during its open hours.

In spring 2024, Sowing Seeds NC participated in the Entrepreneurial Business Grant Program, a collaborative effort between the VGCC Small Business Center and the Northeast Franklin Revitalization Group. Joni McPhetridge completed the course with a robust arsenal of tools to foster the success of Sowing Seeds NC, an expanded network of professional relationships, and a grant to improve the Sowing Seeds NC facilities.

Carolyn Perry, director of the Vance-Granville Small Business Center, has added her own perspective on what makes Sowing Seeds an exceptional organization:

  • Sowing Seeds serves with open hearts. Because they serve others genuinely and selflessly, positive outcomes have followed. Whether it’s volunteering, helping their neighbors in the surrounding communities, or contributing to a cause, their open-hearted approach has led to meaningful connections and positive change throughout Franklin County.
  • Sowing Seeds shows up and gives its best. When good things started happening, it was essential that Sowing Seeds be present and actively participate—showing up consistently, whether it’s at work, in relationships, or in community activities. Giving their best efforts supports their ever-growing network of partners.
  • Sowing Seeds reflects adaptability and openness. Life is full of changes and challenges. Being adaptable and open-minded allows Sowing Seeds to navigate these transitions effectively—embracing new opportunities, learning from their setbacks, and remaining flexible in their approach.
  • Sowing Seeds treats people well. Building a strong network involves treating others with kindness, respect, and empathy. Positive interactions create lasting connections, both personally and professionally. When people are treated well, they won’t forget that feeling.
Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Vipers Ready For Homecoming Against Northern Durham

/by

SportsTalk on WIZS 12:30 p.m. M-Th

The Vance County Vipers Football Team will come home for the first time in this 2024 season and it just so happens that it’s homecoming weekend for Vance County. Head Coach Aaron Elliott came on SportsTalk to talk about his team’s performance last Friday against Orange and to preview Northern Durham this Friday.

The Vipers have now won three straight games thanks to the 14-6 win last Friday over Orange. Head Coach Aaron Elliott believes his squad did a good job. “It feels pretty good, You know what we did see against Orange, was some things that we’ve been working on the past couple of weeks. I think we play better as a team as a whole…we need to find our identity on the offensive side of the ball. We’ve been working all week at really finishing drives. We kind of leave the game open at times, especially last week we had two more opportunities to score against Orange and we really left it out there…we are definitely getting better.”

Coach Elliott gave some differences between playing Orange from last year and playing them last Friday night. “This year they had a lot of returners so obviously they were better on both sides of the ball. They got two really good linebackers that put us in situations that we didn’t want to be in so they played well. you know just watching them be able to move and their offensive line you know their lines were good and they all returned. You know they were bigger and stronger.”

According to the research done by those at WIZS, teams from Vance County and Northern Durham High School have played each other 43 times since Northern Durham opened in 1955. The history between the two schools is there. Coach gives us his insight on what he expects from Northern Durham, “I expect them to wanna come out and spoil our homecoming you know things come and play they get a little momentum coming. Especially them right now they are sitting at 0-3. Right now they want to win a football game so they’re going to come in here with nothing to lose you know trying to play good football and that’s what we’ve been telling our kids this week.” In preparation for Northern Durham, Coach Elliott says that this week has been the “four best practices every day that we’ve had so far this year. I’ve been really been impressed with the kids.”

Vance County has been on the road for the first three games of the season, and regardless of this game being homecoming, Coach Elliott is excited for his team to play in front of the home crowd. “Oh man, we’re excited! We got a lot of good things going on. The field is going to look amazing because of some of the things we did with upgrades. In the facilities, we’ve been working for the last few weeks. When you think about that side of it, it’s great and then you think about the kids you know just having family and friends and it being homecoming and just a lot of things going on we’re pretty excited.

With Granville Central canceling their football season for the 2024 campaign, Vance County needed to find a replacement. Well, they have found one. On Saturday, October 5th, Vance County will host the Cavaliers of East Rutherford from Bostic, NC at 2:00pm. Coach expressed how excited he is that the Vipers found a game to complete their schedule. “Oh man, we were super excited! Especially for them to agree to play because they are a really, really, good, respectable 2A team.”

Coach’s message to the fans for Friday night’s homecoming game against Northern Durham: “Just show out. Show up and support and have a good time. Hopefully, we can put on a pretty good show for them.”

Sounds good to us Coach! Go Vipers!

Vance County hosts Northern Durham on Homecoming for Week 4 of the 2024 season on Friday, September 13th and you can hear all the action on WIZS 1450AM, 100.1FM, and online at wizs.com with pregame starting at 6:50 p.m. and kickoff thereafter at 7:00 p.m.

CLICK PLAY!

 

TownTalk: Property Tax in Vance County

/by

Vance County residents have until Jan. 6, 2025 to pay their property tax bills before getting hit with a 2 percent interest penalty. That may add insult to injury this year, when many taxpayers are facing higher bills as a result of last year’s revaluation.

Vance County is among a handful of counties across the state that waits eight years – the state’s mandatory maximum interval to conduct revaluation – and some county leaders have said it needs to be done more often to reduce the sting and surprise of pricey tax bills.

The county published a list of questions and answers following the public comment portion of the Sept. 3 county commissioners meeting. Tax bills were sent out on Aug. 22, according to information on the county tax department webpage.

Much of the information had been discussed already, either during meetings of the board of commissioners or budget work sessions – the merits of sticking with a revenue-neutral budget versus the need for capital improvement projects that include a new fire station, 911 call center and jail, just to name a few.

One issue that county officials said they will explore is splitting the tax bill to show the breakdown between city tax and county tax for those city residents who must pay both. This hasn’t been done in more than a decade, and a change could come as soon as the 2025 tax bills.

County commissioners adopted the 2024-25 budget on June 24, which included a 10-cent tax increase per $100 valuation. The basic breakdown of that 10-cent increase is $.01 for salary increases to help attract and retain county employees and $.09 for those future capital projects.

As the county faces more opportunities for growth, be they commercial, industrial or residential, there also is a demand for adequate infrastructure to support that growth.

The question that municipalities and counties face is how to balance that growth – providing more services for residents, creating a better and bigger tax base that ultimately may reduce an undue burden on homeowners.

Property owners could appeal their tax bills, as long as they met a few conditions; there was an online mechanism to appeal property tax bills as part of the revaluation process. But 157 property owners in Vance County who completed an online submission got news that their data had been inexplicably lost during a routine computer program update.

To make matters worse, “the normal backup procedures failed to restore the data. The company is working “to better the situation and recollect the lost data,” the FAQ statement read.

Visit https://www.vancecounty.org/departments/tax-overview/ to learn more.

Click Play!