Each year the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting and Banquet serves the dual roles of bringing the membership base together as well as recognizing the outstanding contributions of a local citizen and a local business.
At Thursday evening’s event, attended by about 300 people in the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center, Jim Johnson was honored as the 2024 Citizen of the Year.
As outgoing Chamber Board President Margier White shared details about the as-yet-unnamed recipient, several generations of Johnson’s family – children, grandchildren and great-grands – filed into the Civic Center and gathered along one side.
White called Johnson a “true pillar in our community,” adding that he came to Henderson in 1977 and began a 30-year career in the manufactured housing industry. In the 1990’s, Henderson was home to one of only three manufactured housing operations in the state.
Johnson was a member of the U.S. Air Force and is a decorated Vietnam veteran.
He is a graduate of East Carolina University.
Johnson has filled many roles in Hermon Methodist Church over the years and is a long-time member of the local Kiwanis club. He was Kiwanian of the Year in 2005 and has participated in all their fundraisers over the years – golf tournaments and azalea sales, among others.
He served on the board of Maria Parham Health from 1996 to 2004 and then from 2005 to 2022. He was chairman from 2011 to 2022.
His is a life “that embodies the very spirit of engagement,” White said.
His focus on family, faith and community are the key components that make Johnson such a standout.
In brief remarks following the presentation, Johnson apologized for being a little teary-eyed as he thanked the Chamber for honoring him.
“I’ve got every citizen in Vance County to thank for this award,” he said.
Duke Energy was the event’s presenting sponsor. Beth Townsend, Duke Energy’s Local Government and Community Relations Manager, announced the 2024 Small Business of the Year.
In her presentation, Townsend said this year’s Small Business of the Year – Vance Recovery – provides a crucial service to the community. Vance Recovery is a Morse Clinic in Henderson, which recently expanded and moved to West Andrews Avenue to offer opioid treatment programs in Vance County. Their methadone clinic offers Medication Assisted Therapy and counseling to help people overcome addiction to heroin and other opiates.
Henderson’s clinic is the largest of the nine Morse clinics across the state. The goal is to treat the whole person with a suite of medical and counseling services for patients with substance abuse disorders.
Program Director John Mattocks accepted the award on behalf of the clinic staff and the clinic founder, Dr. Eric Morse. Mattocks said the clinic helps roughly 400 people who are struggle with opioid use disorder.
“Our patients come to us every day and expect us to care for them,” he said, adding that the staff prides itself on providing not just medical care, but compassionate treatment as they reclaim their lives. “Anyone who walks through our door is a courageous individual,” he continued.
This year’s banquet theme,“All Aboard the Chamber Express,” embraces the idea of City and County ties to the railroad – past, present and future.
“We know that Vance County really started with the train coming through,” Chamber President Sandra Wilkerson told WIZS back in January “We’re looking forward to the train coming back,” she said, referring to the proposed S-Line passenger rail project that will ultimately connect rail service between Raleigh and Richmond. Henderson and Norlina are both proposed stops on the S-Line.
With recent federal cuts, the NCDOT this week told WIZS News, “…all USDOT discretionary grants are paused per the Feb. 26 Executive Order, and we do not know when those grants will be able to move forward. …we are moving ahead with our work as planned until we are told otherwise.”
(Original Article was post by WIZS on April 3rd, 2025)
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TownTalk: Commissioners Will Combine Committee Meetings, Work Sessions – On A Trial Basis
/by Laura GabelThe Vance County commissioners will begin holding committee meetings in conjunction with scheduled work sessions – in the commissioners’ meeting room – with an eye on more efficient scheduling and as a way to be available to the public.
Based on a recommendation from the county’s IT staff, holding the committee meetings in the main meeting space will allow the meetings to be livestreamed on the county’s YouTube channel.
Merging the committee meetings with the scheduled work sessions will be done on a trial basis, but it’s unclear just how long the trial period will last. The change takes place as a result of the March 17 work session.
Commissioner Leo Kelly said, “I think it’s a good way to handle it right now,” but Commissioner Dan Brummitt said the commissioners’ meeting room may not suit the format of the less formal committee meetings.
Commissioners take no action during committee meetings; rather, committees bring discussion and recommendations to the full board to make decisions. Board Chair Carolyn Faines reminded fellow commissioners that the decision to include committee meetings in the work sessions allows citizens to see this process – either in person, via livestream or by viewing the archived recording.
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Chamber Honors Jim Johnson, Vance Recovery At Annual Banquet
/by WIZS StaffEach year the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting and Banquet serves the dual roles of bringing the membership base together as well as recognizing the outstanding contributions of a local citizen and a local business.
At Thursday evening’s event, attended by about 300 people in the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center, Jim Johnson was honored as the 2024 Citizen of the Year.
As outgoing Chamber Board President Margier White shared details about the as-yet-unnamed recipient, several generations of Johnson’s family – children, grandchildren and great-grands – filed into the Civic Center and gathered along one side.
White called Johnson a “true pillar in our community,” adding that he came to Henderson in 1977 and began a 30-year career in the manufactured housing industry. In the 1990’s, Henderson was home to one of only three manufactured housing operations in the state.
Johnson was a member of the U.S. Air Force and is a decorated Vietnam veteran.
He is a graduate of East Carolina University.
Johnson has filled many roles in Hermon Methodist Church over the years and is a long-time member of the local Kiwanis club. He was Kiwanian of the Year in 2005 and has participated in all their fundraisers over the years – golf tournaments and azalea sales, among others.
He served on the board of Maria Parham Health from 1996 to 2004 and then from 2005 to 2022. He was chairman from 2011 to 2022.
His is a life “that embodies the very spirit of engagement,” White said.
His focus on family, faith and community are the key components that make Johnson such a standout.
In brief remarks following the presentation, Johnson apologized for being a little teary-eyed as he thanked the Chamber for honoring him.
“I’ve got every citizen in Vance County to thank for this award,” he said.
Duke Energy was the event’s presenting sponsor. Beth Townsend, Duke Energy’s Local Government and Community Relations Manager, announced the 2024 Small Business of the Year.
In her presentation, Townsend said this year’s Small Business of the Year – Vance Recovery – provides a crucial service to the community. Vance Recovery is a Morse Clinic in Henderson, which recently expanded and moved to West Andrews Avenue to offer opioid treatment programs in Vance County. Their methadone clinic offers Medication Assisted Therapy and counseling to help people overcome addiction to heroin and other opiates.
Henderson’s clinic is the largest of the nine Morse clinics across the state. The goal is to treat the whole person with a suite of medical and counseling services for patients with substance abuse disorders.
Program Director John Mattocks accepted the award on behalf of the clinic staff and the clinic founder, Dr. Eric Morse. Mattocks said the clinic helps roughly 400 people who are struggle with opioid use disorder.
“Our patients come to us every day and expect us to care for them,” he said, adding that the staff prides itself on providing not just medical care, but compassionate treatment as they reclaim their lives. “Anyone who walks through our door is a courageous individual,” he continued.
This year’s banquet theme,“All Aboard the Chamber Express,” embraces the idea of City and County ties to the railroad – past, present and future.
“We know that Vance County really started with the train coming through,” Chamber President Sandra Wilkerson told WIZS back in January “We’re looking forward to the train coming back,” she said, referring to the proposed S-Line passenger rail project that will ultimately connect rail service between Raleigh and Richmond. Henderson and Norlina are both proposed stops on the S-Line.
With recent federal cuts, the NCDOT this week told WIZS News, “…all USDOT discretionary grants are paused per the Feb. 26 Executive Order, and we do not know when those grants will be able to move forward. …we are moving ahead with our work as planned until we are told otherwise.”
(Original Article was post by WIZS on April 3rd, 2025)
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Commissioners Give Nod To “Design/Build” Process For Jail Repairs, Renovations
/by Laura GabelThe Vance County Board of Commissioners have approved a pathway for county staff to proceed with a “design/build” process to make necessary repairs to the jail as it weighs further options for construction of a new detention center.
County Attorney Jonathan Care explained to commissioners at their Monday meeting why he recommends this “new” approach be used for the repairs and expressed the need to move quickly, based on a letter from the state citing, among other things, the poor physical condition of the jail.
Care spelled out options for the short-term repairs needed at the existing jail while pursuing design and construction options for a brand-new jail; the consensus at Monday’s meeting was to use the design/build process for the repairs. Care told commissioners staff could have everything in place by the next meeting, if not sooner, to put that plan in motion.
One of the main components of the design/build approach, he explained, has both the construction side and the design side collaborating on the project instead of hiring an architect to design and then a construction team to build.
“I think that is the absolute best way to move forward,” Care said, “and that is my recommendation to move forward with repairs to our current facility.”
The design/build approach begins with a request for qualification – an RFQ – instead of a request for proposals – an RFP, which often results in awarding projects to the company who submits the lowest bid.
He said the design/build process won’t be the cheapest way, but it should result in fewer change orders during construction and fewer issues that inevitably pop up.
With the repairs, however, “time is as much of a factor as cost is.”
A jail is not something that should be pieced out and parceled, Care said.
“We need to know, down the road, that we’re going to have a facility that isn’t such a unicorn that we’re reliant on one person” to come in and make needed repairs, he said, referencing the problem with broken doors at the jail.
“I can tell you, unfortunately, we’ve experienced some of that in our current facility with updating, remodeling and building…that isn’t working for us, and it’s costing us dearly now.”
Home and Garden Show
/by WIZS StaffOn the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.
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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WIZS Radio Henderson Local News 04-09-25 Noon
/by WIZS StaffListen On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
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State Gives Vance Jail April 10 Deadline To Reduce Population, Address Deficiencies
/by Laura GabelVance County has one more day to reduce its jail population from about 140 to 20, one of five corrective action measures issued by the N.C. Dept. of Health and Human Services.
In a 6-page letter addressed to County Commissioner Board Chair Carolyn Faines, County Manager C. Renee Perry, Sheriff Curtis Brame and acting jail administrator Maj. William Mitchell, DHHS Secretary Devdutta Sangvai wrote that conditions at the Vance County Detention Center “jeopardize the safe custody, safety, health, or welfare” following an inspection last month.
“I have concluded that the conditions at VCDC jeopardize the safe custody, safety, health, or welfare of the individuals incarcerated there. Based on the information set forth below and the Facility’s failure to act with a sense of urgency to implement corrective measures and substantially depopulate, I have determined that an Agreement of Correction is not appropriate, and that an Order of Corrective Action is necessary,” Sangvai wrote in the letter, dated April 1, 2025.
In addition to the jail’s depopulation, the other four corrective action measures address supervision rounds, contraband, staffing and the county’s comprehensive action plan to address deficiencies at the detention center. The county has until April 15 to submit a written plan that spells out how it will recruit additional staff as well as implementation dates for recruiting, hiring, training and retaining detention officers. April 15 also is the deadline to submit a comprehensive plan of correction for each deficiency cited in previous inspections, giving priority to repairing the video surveillance system and repair of all cell door locks.
The state of disrepair has been a topic of discussion at county commissioner meetings for quite a while, and commissioners have gone back and forth about whether to repair the existing jail or to build a new one. Recent discussions – and the dismal inspections reports – have resulted in the need to spend a significant amount of money on repairs while weighing the options about new construction – a multi-year project.
The county can appeal the decision, but County Attorney Jonathan Care said he has not yet been authorized to do so.
Although the physical condition of the jail is a major concern, the April 1 letter also cites staffing as a problem. “The Facility remains seriously understaffed,” the letter reads. “The current staff cannot adequately supervise the Facility’s current census.” Where once close to 30 officers were employed to supervise and staff the detention center, there are now only nine positions that routinely supervise the Pods, the letter stated.
Here’s a timeline of most recent inspections by the Division of Health Service Regulation:
Read the letter from the NC DHHS Secretary here: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25879915-vance-county-letter-4125/
SportsTalk: Recap of the NCAA Men’s Title Game
/by Scout HughesSportsTalk 12:30 p.m. M-Th
Scout Hughes and Steve Lewis recap the National Title Game to end the Men’s College Basketball Season. Also, can Henderson host a summer league baseball team? That and much more on SportsTalk!
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Cooperative Extension with Micah Sharpe: 4-H Events Coming Up
/by WIZS StaffOn the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report from Micah Sharpe:
Earth Day is Approaching! On April 22nd at 4pm, we will be celebrating Earth Day at the Perry Memorial Library. Come out and join us as we honor the planet and discuss ways we all can contribute to a greener more sustainable future!
Our Summer Camps are still in the works. Micah Sharpe will be posting further details by the Spring.
District Activity Day is coming up soon. This is a chance for students to showcase their presentation skills. Sign-ups will be opening up very soon!
The Vance County Game of Drones Team is looking more promising than ever! They have strong hopes in taking first place at the upcoming competition this month in April! Best of luck to our team!
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
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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SportsTalk: Action from Over the Weekend
/by Scout HughesSportsTalk 12:30 p.m. M-Th
Scout Hughes and Doc Aycsue talk about the events of the weekend which included the Final Four matchups, Minor League Baseball now officially underway, and Alex Ovechkin’s record breaking weekend! All that and much more on SportsTalk!
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Granville County Couple Named Extension’s 2025 Small Farmers Of The Year
/by Laura GabelElvin and Madeline Eaton, owners of Fairport Farms in Granville County, have been selected as the 2025 Small Farmers of the Year by N.C. A&T State University during the annual Small Farms Week celebration.
The Eatons decided to grow microgreens as a retirement venture, but they wanted to change things up and steer away from some of the more traditional farming practices. Their philosophy – a no-till, no commercial fertilizer or pesticide and keeping growing beds in place for multiple seasons approach – is paying off.
Using five 100-foot-high tunnels — greenhouses without air conditioning — on just one quarter of an acre of their 12-acre Century Farm, the Eatons have grown their retirement venture into a profitable, civic-minded enterprise. A certified Naturally Grown farm, they grow microgreens, kale, collard and mustard greens, broccoli and a variety of lettuces in addition to tomatoes, potatoes, onions and carrots, supporting a farmers’ market business and a direct-sell business
More than 400 farmers, ranchers, Extension agents and partners from across the state came to A&T’s campus to attend N.C. Cooperative Extension’s 39th annual Small Farms Week, which this year centered around the theme “Next Gen Agriculture” and included educational workshops and panel discussions focused on the needs of the next generation of growers.
“We’re more than surprised,” Elvin Eaton said after the award was announced during the annual banquet at A&T State.
“We grow so different — we grow all year long, we grow covered, we grow without chemical fertilizer or pesticides. Soil health is the basis of our farm. This is far out of the norm for people in our area, but when they see the results, a lot of people have been super receptive.
“We really didn’t think we had a chance. We were just happy being nominated, honestly.”
The weeklong annual celebration was launched by Extension in 1985 to connect with small-scale farmers — including minority farmers and those in underserved communities — to ensure they receive the latest research-based information on farming techniques, new tools and technologies. It also gives the public a chance to meet their agricultural neighbors and learn about farm operations and food production.
Learn more about Small Farms Week by clicking here and watch a video produced by NCA&T that highlights Fairport Farms by clicking here.
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Elvin and Madeline Eaton, center, of Fairport Farm in Granville County, North Carolina, became N.C. Cooperative Extension’s 39th Small Farmers of the Year on Wednesday, March 26, at the annual Small Farms Week luncheon on the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University campus. From left are Interim College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (CAES) Dean Shirley Hymon-Parker, Chancellor James R. Martin II, Elvin Eaton, Madeline Eaton, Wendy Tatum of Granville County Cooperative Extension and Associate CAES Dean and N.C. A&T Extension Administrator M. Ray McKinnie.