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!
TownTalk: Commissioners Tap Fund Balance To Pay Overdue Bills, Health Care Overruns At Jail
/by WIZS StaffVance County Commissioners are tapping the county’s fund balance to take care of a couple of bills – to the tune of more than $822,000 – that involve health care at the local detention center.
Of that amount, $352,000 will be used to pay past due invoices, some dating back to 2019, that were not paid by the county’s former finance director.
County Manager C. Renee Perry told commissioners during the Dec. 2 meeting that the former finance director had failed to process invoices from Prime Health. Perry said Prime Health, during the same period, experienced staffing shortages which further exacerbated the delays in processing invoices.
“We are committed to resolving this matter efficiently,” Perry told commissioners, “while maintaining our partnership with Prime Health, ensuring continued high-quality health care services for the Vance County Detention Center.”
Perry said, going forward, the county will put in place an enhanced tracking system and hold regular reconciliation meetings to make sure payments are made in a timely manner.
Commissioners also approved using another $470,000 to pay for the health care of inmates, some of whom aren’t even housed in the local jail.
The payment is based on the jail’s average daily population, which lately has been over-capacity, “so costs are increasing significantly,” Perry noted.
The $470,000 will pay for overages between July and December, as well as the six-month contract extension. At Perry’s recommendation, the commissioners approved renewing the contract for six months, through June 2025, instead of an annual contract. The plan is to try to get the next contract based on the fiscal year (July-June) and move away from the calendar year-based contract. The commissioners also asked for information about how many inmates are housed in other detention centers and how much that costs the county.
Assistant County Manager Jeremy Jones told commissioners that he recently arranged for two inmates to be taken to the jail in Edgecombe County, but they were sent back to Vance County because of bad behavior.
In another incident at the Vance County facility, an inmate sprayed four detention officers in the eyes with a combination of bleach, feces and urine.
Board Chair Sean Alston asked the manager to do some research to determine how much money the county has spent for capital improvements and maintenance on the jail over the past two years.
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Hassan Kingsberry Sworn In As Interim City Attorney
/by WIZS StaffThe City of Henderson has named Hassan Kingsberry its interim city attorney. Kingsberry was sworn in last week and began his work with the city immediately.
After D. Rix Edwards recently announced his retirement, City Manager Terrell Blackmon told WIZS News that Kingsberry had been selected for the interim role while a search for a permanent attorney takes place. Blackmon said a selection most likely will be made in the first quarter of 2025. The city website has a request for proposal for legal services posted, he added. The RFP deadline is Dec. 30, 2024 at 5 p.m.
Kingsberry is a native of Vance and Warren counties and was valedictorian of Warren County High School’s Class of 1997.
He was a Morehead Scholar at UNC-CH and earned a bachelor’s in public policy analysis there before entering law school at N.C. Central University.
For the past 20 years, Kingsberry has practiced general law and has been an attorney for local governments, including Warren County and the town of Wake Forest.
Kingsberry’s interest in education includes a passion for mentoring and developing youth leadership and character. He has served in numerous administrative roles in Franklin County and Halifax County school districts and taught high school social studies while pursuing a master’s in School Administration at UNC-CH.
He also has a master’s in Divinity from Regent University and he and his wife, Dr. Francemise Kingsberry, pastor at Rebirth and Renewal Church International in Youngsville.
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!
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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.