The folks who gathered at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market for the Farm-City luncheon were treated to some good ol’ Southern style food – fried chicken, barbecue, with all the fixin’s, but surely the sweet treat came when local historian Mark Pace shared a brief – but comprehensive – history of agriculture in the area we call home.
There is little doubt that agriculture has been a major player in this area since before the county was established – tobacco was king, but over the years, other products have provided livelihoods.
The Continental Plant Co. in Kittrell touted “the largest stock of choice strawberry plants in the world,” or so a headline on the cover of the spring 1898 catalogue reported. The company shipped plants all over the continent – $1.25 per 1,000 plants.
The Blacknalls ran 3,000 acres for the Continental Plant Co., Pace said. “They shipped all over the world because of the railroad,” he said.
J.P. Taylor started his tobacco operation in Vance County, which later morphed into Universal Leaf.
E.G. Davis had a side-hustle with his chicken farming business, Pace said. Locals will know where it was located: That’s right – Chicken Farm Road.
The cotton crop helped create the mills that, for years, churned out products for the textile industry. Back in the 1840’s, cotton was selling for between 7 cents and 8 cents a pound, Pace said.
“Just about every farm had a little grove of mulberry trees,” he said. What likes mulberry trees? Silkworms. And, though brief, there was a large silk industry in the area. No wonder – at that time, a pound of silk was worth $4 a pound.
A lot of good farmland now rests below Kerr Lake, that manmade resource that has been the source of water and recreation for many since the late 1950’s.
And nobody is surprised to hear statistics of decreasing farm ownership, given the rise of residential housing and other development that has no association with agriculture.
The Vance County Farm Bureau provided a snapshot of information about agricultural production in the county, all conveniently located on paper placemats on the luncheon tables.
The average farm size is about 225 acres, down by almost 20 percent from 2017.
The county has just more than 38,000 acres of farmland, but that figure is down a whopping 42 percent from just seven years ago.
There are 108 female farmers and 172 male farmers, and 88 new and beginning farmers in the county.
Farmers are increasingly aging out of their chosen livelihood – it’s a hard job that often takes a toll on health and finances. Today’s farms may look different than those of decades past, but agriculture continues to be strong in Vance County.
Extension Horticulture Agent Michael Ellington said it’s important to know the history of agriculture in our county, and it’s equally important that farmers provide mentorship to the next generation to make sure that agriculture’s future remains bright.
Listen to Pace’s talk in its entirety at www.wizs.com.
CLICK PLAY!
WIZS Radio Henderson Local News 12-10-24 Noon
/by Bill HarrisClick Play to Listen. On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
Cooperative Extension with Michael Ellington: Chase Away the Winter Blues
/by Bill HarrisListen 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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The Local Skinny! Council Approves UDO To Update Zoning, Development Ordinances
/by WIZS StaffUPDATED: Dec. 9, 2024 – 11 PM
The Henderson City Council adopted a unified development ordinance – UDO – which updates a number of zoning and subdivision ordinances, many of which have been in place since the 1970’s.
City staff and planners have spent the last year working with Insight Planning Consultants to develop the UDO. The price tag for the contract with the consultants is $99,000, which included the UDO the comprehensive plan adopted in July 2022.
The UDO is designed to be a comprehensive document that brings together the full complement of, in this case, city regulations regarding zoning and subdivisions as one way to bring consistency to regulations with regard to property development, design guidelines, sign regulations among others.
In a 4-3 vote, Council members decided to end a decades-long agreement with the county to provide building code services. City Manager Terrell Blackmon explained that the termination should take place Dec. 31, 2024, meaning the services would end in June 2025.
Blackmon said currently, the county collects the fees, and the next six months would be used to determine whether the city can undertake code enforcement on its own, or whether it could contract the services of another provider.
Blackmon also said the city could choose to renegotiate with the county to provide services.
Fees would generate revenue to help offset the costs of having city personnel do the work that now is being done by the county.
Council members Garry Daeke, Lamont Noel and Sam Seifert voted against the move.
During the discussion before the vote was taken, Mayor Melissa Elliott called the current situation “antiquated” and said the city “shouldn’t stay in a chokehold with the county.”
In other business before the Council:
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Original Update Dec. 9, 2024 – 12 Noon
The Henderson City Council will meet at 6 p.m. tonight for its regular monthly meeting. There will be a public hearing to receive comments about the unified development ordinance – UDO – before the Council considers whether to adopt a plan that updates to a number of zoning and subdivision ordinances, many of which have been in place since the 1970’s.
City staff and planners have spent the last year working with Insight Planning Consultants to develop the UDO. The price tag for the contract with the consultants is $99,000, and included the UDO the comprehensive plan which was adopted in July 2022.
The UDO is designed to be a comprehensive document that brings together the full complement of, in this case, city regulations regarding zoning and subdivisions as one way to bring consistency to regulations with regard to property development, design guidelines, sign regulations among others.
Attend the meeting in person or view via livestream at https://henderson.nc.gov/. Click on City Council Meeting on the right side of the page to find the link.
CLICK PLAY for update!
CLICK PLAY for original update!
TownTalk: Farm City Luncheon Held At Farmers Market
/by WIZS StaffThe folks who gathered at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market for the Farm-City luncheon were treated to some good ol’ Southern style food – fried chicken, barbecue, with all the fixin’s, but surely the sweet treat came when local historian Mark Pace shared a brief – but comprehensive – history of agriculture in the area we call home.
There is little doubt that agriculture has been a major player in this area since before the county was established – tobacco was king, but over the years, other products have provided livelihoods.
The Continental Plant Co. in Kittrell touted “the largest stock of choice strawberry plants in the world,” or so a headline on the cover of the spring 1898 catalogue reported. The company shipped plants all over the continent – $1.25 per 1,000 plants.
The Blacknalls ran 3,000 acres for the Continental Plant Co., Pace said. “They shipped all over the world because of the railroad,” he said.
J.P. Taylor started his tobacco operation in Vance County, which later morphed into Universal Leaf.
E.G. Davis had a side-hustle with his chicken farming business, Pace said. Locals will know where it was located: That’s right – Chicken Farm Road.
The cotton crop helped create the mills that, for years, churned out products for the textile industry. Back in the 1840’s, cotton was selling for between 7 cents and 8 cents a pound, Pace said.
“Just about every farm had a little grove of mulberry trees,” he said. What likes mulberry trees? Silkworms. And, though brief, there was a large silk industry in the area. No wonder – at that time, a pound of silk was worth $4 a pound.
A lot of good farmland now rests below Kerr Lake, that manmade resource that has been the source of water and recreation for many since the late 1950’s.
And nobody is surprised to hear statistics of decreasing farm ownership, given the rise of residential housing and other development that has no association with agriculture.
The Vance County Farm Bureau provided a snapshot of information about agricultural production in the county, all conveniently located on paper placemats on the luncheon tables.
The average farm size is about 225 acres, down by almost 20 percent from 2017.
The county has just more than 38,000 acres of farmland, but that figure is down a whopping 42 percent from just seven years ago.
There are 108 female farmers and 172 male farmers, and 88 new and beginning farmers in the county.
Farmers are increasingly aging out of their chosen livelihood – it’s a hard job that often takes a toll on health and finances. Today’s farms may look different than those of decades past, but agriculture continues to be strong in Vance County.
Extension Horticulture Agent Michael Ellington said it’s important to know the history of agriculture in our county, and it’s equally important that farmers provide mentorship to the next generation to make sure that agriculture’s future remains bright.
Listen to Pace’s talk in its entirety at www.wizs.com.
CLICK PLAY!
WIZS Radio Henderson Local News 12-09-24 Noon
/by WIZS StaffListen On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
Click Play!
Cooperative Extension With Wayne Rowland: Small Fruit Orchards
/by WIZS StaffCooperative Extension
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!
SportsTalk: Louisburg College Football Headed To JUCO National Title Game
/by Scout HughesUPDATE – FINAL SCORE
College of DuPage 31
Louisburg College 14
Hurricanes finish the season at 8-3
Congratulations on a Great Season Louisburg!
Go Hurricanes!
•••••••••••••••••••••••••
SportsTalk on WIZS 12:30 p.m. M-Th
Louisburg College Head Football Coach Quinderra Spellman joins SportsTalk with Scout Hughes and George Hoyle to talk about the Hurricanes great season, as they prepare for the NJCAA DIII National Championship Game.
Louisburg College will play the College of DuPage this Saturday, December 7th, 2024 in the NJCAA DIII Football National Championship Game. Kickoff will be at 1:00pm EST. The game will be broadcasted live on ESPN+. For those that want to cheer on the Hurricanes in Chicago the address to the stadium is College of DuPage Stadium, College Rd, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137.
Go Hurricanes!
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Franklin County DSS “Tree Of Hope”
/by WIZS StaffFranklin County Department of Social Services is seeking help from the community to fulfill the hopes and wishes of our foster children this year.
Franklin County DSS — in partnership with Wal-Mart in Louisburg– has a “Tree of Hope” located at the front entrance of the store with paper ornaments that represent a child in foster care. Each ornament has a list of wishes for a child that can be donated to help put a smile on a child’s face this year.
Those considering sponsoring a child this year can pick an ornament from the tree and deliver the unwrapped gifts to the Louisburg Wal-Mart Service Desk or DSS located at 107-A Industrial Drive, Louisburg NC 27549 by Dec. 13.
If you have any questions or would like to donate toys for other children DSS serves, please contact Susan Weathers at 919.496.8171 or call the main number at 919. 496.5721.
$2M In ARPA Funds To Help Franklin Schools Get HVAC Upgrades
/by WIZS Staff— Information courtesy of Franklin County Public Information Officer James F. Hicks, III
Franklin County’s Board of Commissioners approved more than $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to be used for Franklin County Schools HVAC capital needs.
Commissioners approved assigning of the remaining $2,564,623 of ARPA funds to FCS as a subrecipient for approved HVAC projects – which make up a significant portion of the capital needs for FCS as submitted in its needs request.
“I think this is a great way for Franklin County to help Franklin County Schools with its capital needs,” said Board of Commissioner Chairman David Bunn. “Utilizing these remaining funds will help our schools with their upcoming projects.”
After passage of recent state legislation, the previous funding of a $2 million match by Franklin County for the NC Department of Information Technology Completing Access to Broadband (CAB) program became available because the program is now funded by a combination of state and federal funds. The remaining ARPA funds would have to be utilized according to the stringent ARPA rules or be returned.
The Local Skinny! Vance County Commissioners Give Bonuses To All County Employees
/by WIZS StaffAll Vance County employees will get a one-time bonus in next week’s pay period – $500 for all part-time staff and $1,000 for full-time staff. The approximately $280,000 will come from the fund balance.
The Vance County Board of Commissioners approved a recommendation from the Human Resources Committee presented by Assistant County Manager Jeremy Jones at their regular monthly meeting on Monday.
County Manager C. Renee Perry recommended that the board cease paying exempt employees overtime pay when they volunteer to take extra shifts because of staffing shortages; rather, they will get comp time for the additional hours worked.
Perry told the board that is what is spelled out in the county’s personnel policy, but that policy hasn’t been followed for several years.
This comes amidst a countywide salary study, the results of which are not yet available. “I believe that when the study is done, it will fix itself,” she said of the overtime issue and the pay scale for employees.
As part of internal control procedures, Perry said she reviews employee timesheets and can see the hours that staff turn in. “Now that we’re catching it, we need to go with the personnel policy,” she told commissioners. My recommendation is to stop the straight time pay,” she said. “Consistency is key.”
Money to fund the overtime had been available from lapsed salaries and from funds allocated for positions that have not been filled, but Perry said not all departments have those extra funds.
“It’s not fair to pay one group and not another,” she said.
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