Talmadge R. “Pete” Burgess passed away at his home in Durham on Sunday, June 1. He was 92.
Burgess was a native of Vance County and proudly gave back to his community for decades, farming in the Epsom community and making the Vance County Regional Farmers Market a reality.
In a 2020 interview with WIZS, Burgess said “If you’re living in the community, you need to be a part of it. You need to be involved in what’s going on and have your input…help in any way that you can.”
Whether it was with the Epsom Fire Department, his church or other community organizations, Burgess lived into those words.
Largely through his efforts, Vance County was able to open its farmers market in 2014.
He was a founding member of the Vance County Regional Farmers Market and was acknowledged for his visionary leadership in leading the charge for funding and organizing the building of the current Farmers Market facility. A plaque hangs in the market today acknowledging Burgess for his role in getting the market up and running.
“It was not an easy project,” Burgess told WIZS back in 2020. It took several years before he pieces finally fell into place. But when they did, Vance County had something to be proud of.
The market, as it exists today, may have looked a little different had it not been for Burgess. Those roll-up garage style doors – with a $1,500 price tag in 2014 – were somewhat of an add-on.
“It was the easiest money I had to raise,” Burgess said, noting that he approached businesses to help pay for the cost of the doors that visitors and vendors see today at the market.
Burgess attended N.C. State University and studied agricultural engineering on an ROTC scholarship. After graduation, he served in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Germany. He worked as a safety engineer for the Liberty Mutual Insurance industry for 10 years, with various locations in North Carolina, South Carolina and Louisiana. In 1968 he came home to Vance County to operate a farm, where he grew tobacco, grain, hay, and sweet corn, among other crops.
He was well known for his knowledge of planting, harvesting, curing tobacco and growing quality crops. He took pride in his farming, always strived to nurture and enhance the land he farmed.
Burgess was a respected member of the Epsom Community, willing to lend a hand to his neighbors and share his expertise with other farmers. An active community volunteer, he served as a board member and president to the Vance County Farm Bureau organization from 1978-1996. He also was a member of the North Carolina Farm Bureau Board of Directors, the Farm Bureau State Executive Board, and the NC Farm Bureau Scholarship Committee.
Burgess had a long history of service to his community and to Vance County. He received the Vance County Community Hero award in 2012. He was a past president and board member of the Epsom Lions Club; past board member of the Epsom Volunteer Fire Department; worked with the Perry Memorial Library Building Committee to secure funding for the Farm Bureau Community meeting room; past board member of the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce; and past member of the Vance County Planning Board.
He was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Henderson and served as a president of his Sunday School class and volunteered with the Methodist Men’s group.
He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Sylvia Smith Burgess; son Daryl and wife Darline; daughter Susan Hughes and husband Lyn; daughter-in-law Michele Burgess; grandsons Justin Burgess and wife Mehegan, Bryan Hughes and wife Kaylee, and Nolan Hughes and special friend Allison Wise; great granddaughters Virginia Parks Burgess and Lawson Burgess; and sister Lorraine Watkins and husband Eugene. He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Juanita Burgess Robinson, and his son Talmadge Burgess, Jr.
Visitation with the family will be held on Tuesday, June 3, from 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. at the home of Michele Burgess, 6876 NC Highway 39 South, Henderson, NC. A graveside burial service will be held on Wednesday, June 4 at 2 p.m. at Liberty Christian Church, 7818 NC Highway 39 South, Henderson NC. A service of celebration will be held following the burial at 3 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church, 114 Church St. in Henderson.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to the Vance-Granville Community College Foundation – T.R. Burgess Sr. Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 917, Henderson, NC 27536. Or to the First United Methodist Church Memorial Fund in memory of T.R. Burgess, Sr., 114 Church St., Henderson, NC. 27536. J.M. White Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
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TownTalk: Remembering Talmadge R. “Pete” Burgess
/by Laura GabelTalmadge R. “Pete” Burgess passed away at his home in Durham on Sunday, June 1. He was 92.
Burgess was a native of Vance County and proudly gave back to his community for decades, farming in the Epsom community and making the Vance County Regional Farmers Market a reality.
In a 2020 interview with WIZS, Burgess said “If you’re living in the community, you need to be a part of it. You need to be involved in what’s going on and have your input…help in any way that you can.”
Whether it was with the Epsom Fire Department, his church or other community organizations, Burgess lived into those words.
Largely through his efforts, Vance County was able to open its farmers market in 2014.
He was a founding member of the Vance County Regional Farmers Market and was acknowledged for his visionary leadership in leading the charge for funding and organizing the building of the current Farmers Market facility. A plaque hangs in the market today acknowledging Burgess for his role in getting the market up and running.
“It was not an easy project,” Burgess told WIZS back in 2020. It took several years before he pieces finally fell into place. But when they did, Vance County had something to be proud of.
The market, as it exists today, may have looked a little different had it not been for Burgess. Those roll-up garage style doors – with a $1,500 price tag in 2014 – were somewhat of an add-on.
“It was the easiest money I had to raise,” Burgess said, noting that he approached businesses to help pay for the cost of the doors that visitors and vendors see today at the market.
Burgess attended N.C. State University and studied agricultural engineering on an ROTC scholarship. After graduation, he served in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Germany. He worked as a safety engineer for the Liberty Mutual Insurance industry for 10 years, with various locations in North Carolina, South Carolina and Louisiana. In 1968 he came home to Vance County to operate a farm, where he grew tobacco, grain, hay, and sweet corn, among other crops.
He was well known for his knowledge of planting, harvesting, curing tobacco and growing quality crops. He took pride in his farming, always strived to nurture and enhance the land he farmed.
Burgess was a respected member of the Epsom Community, willing to lend a hand to his neighbors and share his expertise with other farmers. An active community volunteer, he served as a board member and president to the Vance County Farm Bureau organization from 1978-1996. He also was a member of the North Carolina Farm Bureau Board of Directors, the Farm Bureau State Executive Board, and the NC Farm Bureau Scholarship Committee.
Burgess had a long history of service to his community and to Vance County. He received the Vance County Community Hero award in 2012. He was a past president and board member of the Epsom Lions Club; past board member of the Epsom Volunteer Fire Department; worked with the Perry Memorial Library Building Committee to secure funding for the Farm Bureau Community meeting room; past board member of the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce; and past member of the Vance County Planning Board.
He was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Henderson and served as a president of his Sunday School class and volunteered with the Methodist Men’s group.
He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Sylvia Smith Burgess; son Daryl and wife Darline; daughter Susan Hughes and husband Lyn; daughter-in-law Michele Burgess; grandsons Justin Burgess and wife Mehegan, Bryan Hughes and wife Kaylee, and Nolan Hughes and special friend Allison Wise; great granddaughters Virginia Parks Burgess and Lawson Burgess; and sister Lorraine Watkins and husband Eugene. He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Juanita Burgess Robinson, and his son Talmadge Burgess, Jr.
Visitation with the family will be held on Tuesday, June 3, from 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. at the home of Michele Burgess, 6876 NC Highway 39 South, Henderson, NC. A graveside burial service will be held on Wednesday, June 4 at 2 p.m. at Liberty Christian Church, 7818 NC Highway 39 South, Henderson NC. A service of celebration will be held following the burial at 3 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church, 114 Church St. in Henderson.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to the Vance-Granville Community College Foundation – T.R. Burgess Sr. Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 917, Henderson, NC 27536. Or to the First United Methodist Church Memorial Fund in memory of T.R. Burgess, Sr., 114 Church St., Henderson, NC. 27536. J.M. White Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
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KARTS Flex Ride Program Begins On-Demand Service
/by Laura GabelThe KARTS flex ride service officially begins today, providing on-demand transportation anywhere within the city limits of Henderson.
During the ribbon-cutting Friday, KARTS Executive Director Randy Cantor said the service “brings KARTS into the 21st century” with its Uber-style setup.
“My hope is that with the success in Henderson…maybe we can expand to other cities in the four-county KARTS service area,” Cantor said.
Riders can request a ride with a few simple clicks and swipes on the KARTS website or with an app on a smart phone. Customers can load money on an electronic pass using a credit or debit card, Cantor said.
The service will be in operation Monday-Friday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
City and county officials on hand for the ribbon cutting were supportive and positive the new service would work well for residents.
“We welcome this program and congratulate you all at KARTS for taking on this program,” said Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame.
Downtown Development Director Tracy Madigan said, “This is so exciting…this is really going to help our downtown…we are thrilled (and) we really appreciate all that KARTS is doing.”
Henderson is one of 11 sites across the state to get funded for this type of micro-transit offering.
“Hopefully, we’ll see this program be popular and create demand,” said Grady McCollum, senior project manager for NCDOT’s Integrated Mobility Division.
Being able to have this kind of convenient ability to get around town, be able to offer more flexible rides…this is going to be huge,” McCollum told WIZS News after the ribbon-cutting.
North Carolina is a leader in micro-transit programs like the one that KARTS is launching. Whether it’s a trip to a doctor’s appointment, shopping or a visit downtown, the Flex Ride is available to help get people where they want – and need – to go.
“It’s really exciting to be on that cutting edge” and be a resource for other states across the nation.
“It is a big deal, we’re very excited about it,” said Kai Monast, a transportation program expert who works with the Institute for Transportation and Research and Education at N.C. State University.
It was during COVID that the call went out to find out which entities may be interested in participating in the pilot project.
“KARTS found the capacity to raise their hand and say, ‘yes, we’re interested, even though we’re busy doing other stuff,’” Monast told WIZS News.
“They knew this was the future and they raised their hand and got included in the grant application,” he said.
WIZS Radio Henderson Local News 06-02-25 Noon
/by WIZS StaffListen On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
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Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Blossom-End Rot
/by WIZS StaffOn the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report from Wayne Rowland:
Blossom-end rot can be prevented by the correct amount of calcium in the soil and correct watering of tomatoes.
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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Food Distribution Event Set For STEM Early High School On Tuesday, June 3
/by WIZS StaffSTEM Early High School is the site for a free food distribution event on Tuesday, June 3, sponsored by the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina.
The school is located at the Vance County Schools’ Center for Innovation, 219 Charles St. in Henderson. The event will be held from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Shelf-stable items, as well as fresh produce, will be available to all, and no registration is needed.
Come learn how to receive Grab-N-Go meal boxes for the summer!
Questions? Email to kidsprograms@foodbankcenc.org.
Wise Independence Day Parade & Festival Friday, July 4
/by WIZS StaffOrganizers of the Wise Independence Day Parade & Festival are preparing for a day full of fun for the whole family and this year, the event will be held on Friday, July 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Danielle Edgerton and Gary Paynter are two of the organizers, which includes a parade, live music from Feature Attraction Band and a churchyard full of kids’ rides, food and craft vendors and more.
The parade entries will line up beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the home of Bruce Perkinson and will set off along the parade route at 10 a.m. sharp. The route ends at Wise Baptist Church and the festival will continue until 2 p.m. on the church grounds. Frank Gustkey Sr. is this year’s grand marshal.
Want to be in the parade, the car show or want to be a sponsor? Call
Gary Paynter at 252.438.0574 or Danielle Edgerton at 252.204.2605.
Getting Property, Emergency Plans Ready For 2025 Hurricane Season, Which Begins Sunday, June 1
/by WIZS StaffTopping this year’s list of unwanted guests between June and December include Andrea, Barry, Chantal and Dexter – those are names designated for the first four named hurricanes of the 2025 season, which officially begins Sunday, June 1.
It’s not too soon to think about ways to protect your property to reduce potential damage in the event a hurricane or its after-effects cause problems.
Western North Carolina is still dealing with the aftermath of destruction caused by the remnants of Hurricane Helene last fall.
And the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is forecasting an “above-normal” season.
With that in mind, the American Property Casualty Insurance Association suggests that homeowners review insurance policies to make sure you can financially weather a storm.
“Natural disasters in recent years have caused billions of dollars in damages, which is a key reason why insurance costs have risen,” says Michael Richmond-Crum, senior director of personal lines at APCIA. “To help make insurance more affordable and available long-term, it is critical to increase the resiliency of homes and communities and reduce costly damage from severe weather. Many insurers offer premium discounts for certain steps that homeowners take to reduce the potential for damage from a storm. Discounts vary by company, so talk to your insurer or agent to see what discounts are available.”
The following steps are low-cost ways homeowners can strengthen their property for hurricane season:
In recent years, costs to repair and rebuild homes and businesses after a natural disaster have risen significantly. In the last five years, the cost of construction labor has increased 36.3 percent while the cost of building materials are up 42.7 percent.
“As part of your hurricane season prep, take time to review your insurance policy and verify with your insurer or agent that your coverage is keeping pace with these cost increases,” added Richmond-Crum.
When reviewing your insurance policy, consider the following:
Other steps to take to prepare for hurricane season:
For the record, in addition to Andrea, Barry, Chantal and Dexter, the following names will be used if needed for the 2025 hurricane season:
Erin, Fernand, Gabrielle, Humberto, Imelda, Jerry, Karen, Lorenzo, Melissa, Nestor, Olga, Pablo, Rebekah, Sebastien, Tanya, Van, and Wendy.
SportsTalk: Cale Bolton and the Tar Heels are ready for the NCAA Tournament
/by WIZS StaffFor Louisburg’s Cale Bolton, baseball has always been a part of his life. Bolton’s been playing since the age of three, and last Sunday, he and his UNC teammates won the ACC Tournament with a 14-4 thumping of the Clemson Tigers.
“It was an awesome moment,” Bolton told WIZS’s Scout Hughes and George Hoyle on SportsTalk.
The Tar Heels face Holy Cross Friday at 12 noon in the first game of the NCAA tournament. If they win, they’ll host the Super Regional.
The right-handed pitcher arrived at UNC after playing on teams at Brunswick Community College and then Liberty University – both experiences that have helped shape him as he continues to develop as a Division 1 athlete.
With a grandfather, father and brother all big baseball fans and players, it was a foregone conclusion that Bolton also would fall in line.
His brother pitched for three seasons at East Carolina, and Bolton said he gave him sound advice: “Stay in the weight room, keep getting stronger, and have a short memory on the mound.”
Over the years, Bolton said, he’s leaned in to that advice and is happy to share it with others. “Don’t take a day off, always be doing something,” even on off-days. Hit the weight room, go for a run, he added. “Keep your body in shape and stay ahead of everybody else.”
Of course, his dream is to play professional baseball, and since this is his final year at the college level, Bolton just may get his chance.
But first, there’s the NCAA tournament.
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TownTalk: Community Outdoor Revival Coming June 2-6 at Back to Eden
/by Laura GabelThis year’s Blessed Trinity Ministries Revival begins Monday, June 2 and runs through Friday, June 6. The revival begins at 7 p.m. each evening at Back to Eden, located at 105 Spellman Loop off Satterwhite Point Road, and organizer and pastor Rev. Dr. Almice Floyd Gill invites the entire community to come out and be refreshed by hearing the word of God from five different preachers from the area.
“I’m not preaching this year, but I’ll be talking every night,” Floyd Gill said on Thursday’s TownTalk. Her role is more of facilitator for the weeklong revival, which will offer a whole new list of ministers, reverends and pastors who are taking part.
She said this year’s participants will offer a variety of messages for revival participants, and she said to expect the speakers to present their messages with “power, conviction and in love.”
“The revivalists from last year were great,” she said, and added that this year’s speakers will hopefully expand and invite even more people to attend the nightly services.
As in the Book of Nehemiah in the Bible, Floyd Gill said she prayed to God to ask for guidance as she began to plan the 2025 revival – God blesses those who work faithfully, and she wanted to emulate Nehemiah’s actions to help accomplish her goal to get the Word of God out to people in the community.
“We don’t want the revival to be routine,” she said, and invites any and all to attend the five-night event.
Here’s the lineup:
If you can’t make it in person, find Blessed Trinity Ministries on Facebook to view live or join via conference call to listen to the revival each evening. Simply call 605.475.4700 and use Passcode 751573 to connect.
Anyone wishing to make a donation is welcome to do so, she said, adding that there are numerous ways to give: bring cash, check, cashier’s check or money order to the revival or mail to: Blessed Trinity Ministries, P.O. Box 3241, Henderson, NC 27536
Pay online as well using Gill’s number 252.438.0397. Donations may be made via apps like Zelle and Apple Pay
or via Cash App to $meeciefg.
She said all donations go to the church treasury to support its mission. “We’re thankful for every penny that anybody gives.”
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Memorial Garden At Farmers Market Filled With Native Plants To Attract Pollinators – And People
/by WIZS StaffVisitors to the Vance County Regional Farmers Market have no doubt noticed the lovely garden space that greets them as they make their way up the driveway to the parking area.
It’s a beautiful space, to be sure. But if you’ve never taken a few minutes to stop and look closely at the native plant specimens that are contained in that small one-tenth of an acre, you’re really missing out.
Cooperative Extension Agent Michael Ellington explained that the garden, designed, created and maintained by Master Gardeners, is at once a natural habitat, a classroom and a sanctuary.
There are benches nestled among the greenery for people to stop and enjoy the peace within the garden.
Each different plant has its own marker that identifies it by name, and a QR code that visitors can use to learn more.
All the plants were carefully chosen to support pollinators like bees, butterflies and more.
“It’s literally buzzing with life,” Ellington said of the garden, which is chock full of pollinator-friendly perennials, herbs, flowering shrubs and more.
Volunteers from the Master Gardeners group are on hand each second and fourth Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. when the market is open to share information about the garden and practices that homeowners and aspiring gardeners can use in their own spaces.
They’re working to create a seed library, too, so if there’s a plant you like in the memorial garden and can’t find it in a retail store, just wait.
You may just be able to get some seeds from the library to take home to your own garden.
Snap a pic of the tag and be able to take a plant home soon.
Learn more about Cooperative Extension programs and activities at
https://vance.ces.ncsu.edu/ and click on https://vance.ces.ncsu.edu/vance-county-regional-farmers-market/ to learn more about the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.