Tag Archive for: #granvillecountynews

City of Oxford

Celebrate Local Artists May 8 At Oxford City Hall Art Exhibition Opening

/by

Check out a variety of works by local artists during a celebration of arts Thursday evening at the Oxford Art Exhibition Opening Night from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Presented by the City of Oxford and Granville Arts, the event features an Art Talk, gallery tour and live performances, according to information from Oxford’s city communications specialist Sabrina Richards.

The exhibition is located on the second floor of Oxford City Hall, 300 Williamsboro St. and will be up for viewing through July.

Visit https://oxfordncarts.org/ to learn more about Oxford Arts.

 

Duke Energy

Duke Energy Accepting Applications For $25K Grant

/by

— information courtesy of Duke Energy

Duke Energy Foundation is accepting grant applications from eligible organizations for a $25,000 grant. Successful applications will describe the local environmental impact program and how the organization will use the funds.

Applications are being accepted until Monday, June 30, at 5 p.m.

Examples of potential proposals include:

  • Projects strengthening thriving natural environments, including access to green space, in historically underserved communities.
  • Resiliency projects that prepare communities for and mitigate against the effects of climate change.
  • Environmental projects supporting land conservation; clean water; and biodiversity of plant and animal species.

Qualifications

To qualify for grant funding consideration, your organization must meet the following criteria:

  • Have current, tax-exempt status as a public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code.
  • Serve communities that are also served by Duke Energy.
  • Serve communities without discrimination against any individual on the basis of race, creed, gender, gender identity, age, sexual orientation or national origin.
  • Have a method by which to measure, track and report one or more program outcomes and specific results that demonstrate measurable community impact.

Visit https://foundation.duke-energy.com/ for details.

N.C. Rep. Bryan Cohn Says House Bill 74 Would Drain $10 Million From Regional Water System Expansion Project

/by

UPDATE THURS, MAY 1 AT 4:15 P.M. –

House Bill 74, now through the third reading in the N.C. Senate, is one step closer to being passed into law. Wording in the bill calls for $10 million appropriated for the Kerr Lake Regional Water System in expansion project to be reappropriated to fund other projects in the state.

District 32 N.C. Rep. Bryan Cohn told WIZS News that he was made aware on Mar. 4 “that language had been added” to House Bill 74 about the proposed reappropriation, in essence pulling funds that had been appropriated in October 2023 to the city of Oxford to help with the water plant expansion project.

Cohn said he contacted stakeholders of the regional water system to form a plan, and turned his attention to the bill’s sponsors. “They were unwilling to accept any amendments or remove the language,” Cohn said Thursday morning.

“There was no way for us to stop it,” he said, calling the maneuver a ‘predetermined outcome.’

“I’ve got the governor involved, I’ve got (U.S. Congressman) Don Davis involved,” Cohn said.

Cohn, a former Oxford town commissioner, was elected in November 2024 to represent N.C. House District 32, which includes most of Vance County and all of Granville County.

 

***************************

TOWNTALK AUDIO UPDATE THURS, MAY 1 AT 11:00 A.M.

CLICK PLAY! — Updated by John Rose

***************************

UPDATE WED, APR 30 AT 5:45 P.M. –

N.C. House Bill 74 covered below and involving the $10 million appropriation for the Kerr Lake Regional Water System plant expansion project, passed its second reading in the Senate this afternoon, but there will be no third reading today. House District 32 Representative Bryan Cohn told WIZS News, “It will need a third reading in the Senate before it can come back to the House.” If adopted by a final House vote, then it would go to the Governor.  The Governor may sign it, veto it or let it sit for 10 days. If it sits on the Governor’s desk for 10 days, it becomes law. — Updated by John Rose

***************************

UPDATE TUES, APR 29 AT 5:54 P.M. –

N.C. State Rep. Bryan Cohn has called a decision by the North Carolina Senate Appropriations/Base Budget Committee to advance House Bill 74 House Budget Technical Corrections an “egregious misuse of power.”

Cohn, who represents District 32 and serves most of Vance and Granville counties, stated in a press release issued late Tuesday afternoon that House Bill 74 “unjustly removes $10 million in previously awarded state funding for the expansion and modernization of the Kerr Lake Regional Water Plant. Despite compelling evidence of severe harm presented during committee testimony, Republican leadership chose to advance the bill, effectively redistributing resources from predominantly African-American communities to wealthier, predominantly white areas of the state.”

The Kerr Lake Regional Water System serves the City of Oxford, the City of Henderson, all of Warren County, as well as numerous surrounding communities. Cohn said the project expansion is underway, with contracts signed, construction begun and local governments committing matching funds based on the state’s commitment it made in 2023.

“Without these funds, the project will face delays and halts in construction, and ratepayers will be levied with an unfair burden to cover costs the state had already committed to fulfilling,” Cohn’s statement continued.

Henderson City Manager/Attorney Hassan T. Kingsberry told WIZS News Tuesday afternoon that Mayor Melissa Elliott was in Raleigh today and has been in touch with Cohn, but didn’t elaborate. “The KLRWS has a lawyer and lobbyist that we probably should consult with before much of this can be answered,” Kingsberry said. “Also, the City of Oxford shares our same position.”

Of the $10 million allocated to the city of Oxford, $3 million will now be diverted to the South Granville Water and Sewer Authority and another $3 million will be allocated to Franklin County for an infrastructure project. The remaining $4 million goes to two other counties outside the WIZS coverage area.

“This action by the Senate is not a technical correction—it’s outright theft and political retribution,” said Rep. Cohn. “Stripping critical funds already promised and invested sends a clear, disturbing message: partisan politics comes before the well-being and basic needs of thousands of North Carolinians.”

“Make no mistake—this decision endangers the health, economic stability, and future development of communities that Republicans in Raleigh have repeatedly ignored,” Cohn added. “We cannot allow this egregious misuse of power to go unchallenged.”

Cohn called on legislators across party lines to reverse this damaging decision and protect critical infrastructure investments that support all North Carolinians, regardless of race, income, or political affiliation.

“We demand better,” concluded Rep. Cohn. “The residents of Oxford, Henderson, and Warren County deserve reliable partners in Raleigh, not political adversaries who treat their futures as expendable.”

(Original news post at 5:54 p.m. on Tues, Apr 29 by Laura Gabel)

Oxford Armory Farmers Market Launches Saturday, May 3

/by

Oxford will launch a new farmers market Saturday morning on the grounds of the National Guard Armory, 105 W. Spring St.

Aptly named, the Oxford Armory Farmers Market will feature local fruits, meats, vegetables and other products from local farmers and artisans.

Beginning Saturday, May 3, the market will be open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through October.

In 2020, a needs assessment was conducted by the N. C. Cooperative Extension. This assessment revealed a greater need for local agricultural producers to be able to get their products into the hands of local consumers, increasing the consumption of locally grown nutrient-dense products. As a result of the needs assessment, the Advisory Leadership Council began discussions with community stakeholders and realized that a larger market, with more availability for local agricultural producers, would be the solution to meet this need.

The Oxford Armory Farmers Market can accommodate more than 60 vendors, all offering locally sourced products as well as space for food trucks and special events in conjunction with the municipalities that are all a part of Granville County.

The existing Oxford Farmers Market located at the corner of McClanahan and Lanier streets in downtown Oxford will continue to operate every Saturday and it kicks off its season on Saturday, May 3 as well. This market operates from 7 a.m. to 12 noon.

Vendor applications for the Oxford Armory Farmers Market are still being accepted. Find details at https://granville.ces.ncsu.edu/oxford-armory-farmers-market or find OxfordArmory FarmersMarket on Facebook.

Kerr-Tar COG Young Adult Hiring Event Is April 29; All Job Seekers Welcome

/by

Despite its title, the Kerr-Tar COG’s 4th annual Young Adult Hiring Event scheduled for Tuesday, Apr. 29 at the Raleigh Road Outdoor Theatre is rated for All Audiences.

Job seekers of any age are welcome said NC Works Business Services Representative Stacey Williams, one of the job fair’s organizers.

The job fair will run from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Williams said. So far, upwards of 40 employers will be on hand to chat with prospective job seekers about careers and positions available at their companies.

The job fair geared for students began during the time of COVID-19 restrictions, Williams explained, as a way to connect high school juniors and seniors not necessarily interested in attending college with local businesses and manufacturers and other employers – in an outdoor setting.

The location proved to be popular, and this is the fourth one planned in the outdoor setting.

“It’s easy to get excited about this event,” Williams said, adding that the students bring an energy that he finds contagious.

Not everyone is looking to go to college, and this hiring event is one way the Kerr-Tar COG can assist future employees learn more about prospective employers. “We’re trying to provide alternatives to those that are not interested in college,” he said.

His #1 piece of advice to job seekers? A positive attitude.

“Your attitude will take you far,” he said. Paired with determination and drive create an employee profile that employers are looking for. “You have to show up, you have to be ready, you have to be prepared and you have to be positive,” he said.

Job seekers need to do a little interviewing of their own, Williams said, when considering a particular field of work that employers should keep in mind.

“They’re looking for something that’s going to be a solid position for them,” he said. An entry-level job that can turn into something bigger and better is desirable. Companies with strong foundations, stability and a solid pay scale also are what employees are looking for.

Williams, a Henderson native, said he is happy to be back home where he is able to serve the community he grew up in. “It’s an awesome feeling to be able to support someone find a career.

Schools from all five counties in the Kerr-Tar region are planning to bring groups of students to the hiring event; other individuals from the area are welcome to just come out to the Raleigh Road Outdoor Theatre, 336 Raleigh Rd., Henderson between 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. No prior registration is needed.

To learn more, visit https://www.kerrtarcog.org/

Click Play!

(This story text was originally published on Friday, April 25 based on the interview you can hear above. However, the interview did not air on WIZS until Monday, April 28 on TownTalk, recorded for presentation at that time.)

NC Taxpayers Have Until May 1 To File Taxes

/by

Taxpayers in North Carolina have a slight reprieve this year – the deadline to file state and federal taxes has been extended to May 1, giving individuals and businesses an extra couple of weeks to file.

Because of the devastation created by Hurricane Helen and Tropical Storm Debby last year, the Internal Revenue Service extended the deadline to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments.

Following the disaster declaration issued by FEMA, individuals and households that reside or have a business in the entire state qualify for tax relief.

Affected taxpayers with returns and payments with due dates postponed until Feb. 3, 2025, due to Tropical Storm Debby in North Carolina (NC-2024-07) will also now have until May 1, 2025, to file and/or pay.

The declaration permits the IRS to postpone certain tax-filing and tax-payment deadlines for taxpayers who reside or have a business in the disaster area. For instance, certain deadlines falling on or after Sept. 25, 2024, and before May 1, 2025, are granted additional time to file through May 1, 2025. As a result, affected individuals and businesses will have until May 1, 2025, to file returns and pay any taxes that were originally due during this period.

The May 1, 2025, filing deadline applies to:

  • Individuals who had a valid extension to file their 2023 return due to run out on Oct. 15, 2024. The IRS noted, however, that because tax payments related to these 2023 returns were due on April 15, 2024, those payments are not eligible for this relief.
  • Calendar-year corporations whose 2023 extensions run out on Oct. 15, 2024.

The May 1, 2025, deadline also applies to any payment normally due during this period, including the quarterly estimated tax payments due on Jan. 15 and April 15, 2025. The May 1, 2025, deadline also applies to the quarterly payroll and excise tax returns normally due on Oct. 31, 2024, and Jan. 31, and April 30, 2025. In addition, penalties on payroll and excise tax deposits due on or after Sept. 25, 2024, and before Oct. 10, 2024, will be abated as long as the tax deposits are made by Oct. 10, 2024.

If an affected taxpayer receives a late filing or late payment penalty notice from the IRS that has an original filing, payment or deposit due date that falls within the postponement period, the taxpayer should call the telephone number on the notice to have the IRS abate the penalty.

The IRS automatically identifies taxpayers located in the covered disaster area and applies filing and payment relief. But affected taxpayers who reside or have a business located outside the covered disaster area should call the IRS disaster hotline at 866.562.5227 to request this tax relief. Tax preparers located in the disaster area with clients located outside the disaster area can choose to use the Bulk requests from practitioners for disaster relief option, described on www.IRS.gov.

 

TownTalk: 3rd Annual Community Resource Festival Coming Up on April 16th

/by

Organizers of the 3rd annual Community Resource Festival are proof of just what can be accomplished when folks and organizations come together for a common goal.

More than 100 vendors have signed up to participate in the event, which will take place Wednesday, April 16 at the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the public is invited to stop in to learn more about the businesses, programs, local agencies, nonprofits and more that are located in Vance and Granville counties.

In addition to helpful information, there will be food trucks, giveaways and plenty of time for networking.

Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce President Sandra Wilkerson summed it up this way: Community means together, resources are assets and festival means fun.

Wilkerson joined collaborators Jennifer Cufalo, with the Granville County Chamber of Commerce and Michele Walker, with Huff Consulting, LLC on TownTalk to discuss the event’s origin – and the possibilities it holds for the entire community.

“There’s nothing that makes me happier than collaboration,” Wilkerson said.

And the Community Resource Festival all about collaboration, Walker said. “It’s grown to huge heights,” she said of the festival, which began as an idea simply to gather nonprofit organizations from across the two counties.

As Wilkerson explained, once Walker brought the idea to the Chambers, the idea grew to include businesses and other service-related organizations. Stay tuned, Walker said, because KARTS is working to designate “hotspots” to pick up individuals and transport them to and from the festival. She’ll share more information as it develops.

The local Chamber has been fielding calls about how to participate in the festival, some from people familiar to the Chamber and some she doesn’t know.

“I’m excited to meet them (and) talk to them about what they’re working on,” she said. Part of the mission of the resource festival is to show the community just how much the two counties have to offer – it’s just a matter of knowing the resources exist.

“This festival is just a great way to bring programs and services under one roof,” Cufalo said. Through networking, small businesses nonprofits can join forces with one another to extend their reach into the community. “Not everybody has the same supporters or collaborators,” she said. “That little bit of knowledge you have and be huge for somebody else” to learn.

The Community Resource Festival has looked a little bit different each year, but the common thread she recognizes is the level of communication and sharing of information among businesses and to the public.

“One thing that we have to do – make sure we’re talking to one another. We have to communicate,” Walker said. And who says you can’t do that AND enjoy each other’s company at the same time?

To learn more, visit

https://business.hendersonvance.org/events/details/community-resource-festival-2191

CLICK PLAY!

Granville County Couple Named Extension’s 2025 Small Farmers Of The Year

/by

Elvin 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.

Click Play!

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.

Granville Names Charla Duncan Economic Development Director

/by

Charla Duncan has been selected to be Granville County’s Economic Development director. Duncan returns to Granville County government with more than 10 years of experience in economic development and local government administration. She is set to begin in the new role May 1.

In her new role, Duncan will lead the county’s economic development recruitment and retention efforts, with a particular focus on the development of the Triangle North Granville Business Park, according to information from Granville County Public Information Officer Terry Hobgood.

For the past six years, Duncan has held various positions in Warren County, including most recently as director of Community & Economic Development. She was Warren’s interim economic development director after initially being appointed to the position of Senior Assistant to the County Manager.

During her time in Warren County, Duncan was instrumental in securing more than $5 million in development grant funding and identifying and acquiring three county-owned sites for future development.

She spearheaded the update to that county’s 2022 Comprehensive Plan and established a board of directors and hired staff for the Warren County Tourism Development Authority.

Duncan was the county’s lead on the NC Department of Transportation S-Line passenger rail project, led efforts to expand local broadband internet access and oversaw efforts to cultivate the expansion of Glen Raven fabric manufacturing – a project that invested more than $80 million and created more than 30 new jobs at its Norlina plant.

Named a Trailblazer by Business NC in 2022, Duncan also was named Emerging Leader of the Year in 2023 by the N.C. Economic Development Association. She currently is a member of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina and represents the North Central Prosperity Zone – a 15-county region that includes Granville County – Economic Development Advisory Council.

Duncan is also no stranger to Granville County Government. Before her time in Warren County, Duncan spent more than three years in the Granville County Administration Office as Grant Coordinator and Management Analyst.

“I cut my teeth on county government with Granville County, and I’m truly excited to come back to an organization and a community that feels like home in many ways,” said Duncan. “I developed a lot of great relationships while I was a public servant here from 2016-2019, and I look forward to building on that history. As a native of Warren County, I’m grown from Kerr-Tar soil, and I bring with me a deep respect for our rural communities and what we have to offer, as well as protect. I believe in responsible development, and I’m eager to work with Granville County residents, businesses, and leaders on a thoughtful, creative, and intentional pathway forward for the community.”

Duncan is an NC Certified Economic Developer and a graduate of the UNC School of Government Municipal and County Administration program. She received her bachelor’s degree in English with a Secondary Education Licensure from UNC-Greensboro and a master’s degree in public and Nonprofit Management from New York University.

Mobile Home Owners Will Pay More For Fire, Casualty Insurance Beginning Sept. 1

/by

The N.C. Department of Insurance has ended its legal dispute with the North Carolina Rate Bureau over a proposed rate increase for two types of insurance policies for mobile home owners.

The two policies are Mobile Home Fire and Mobile Home Casualty, and the settlement calls for a statewide average increase of 11 percent per year over the next two years for the fire policy and an average of 8 percent over the same time period for the casualty policy.

The first set of increases will take effect on new and renewed policies beginning on or after Sept. 1. The second set of increases will take effect on Aug. 31, 2026. The agreement prevents the insurance companies from seeking an increase before Sept. 1, 2027.

Although the cost will go up, the increase is much less than the proposed 82.9 percent and 49.9 percent increase in fire and casualty policies that companies asked the Rate Bureau for about one year ago, according to information from the N.C. Dept. of Insurance.

“I am happy to announce that North Carolina mobile homeowners will save more than $10 million a year in premium payments compared to what the insurance companies requested, Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey said. “I am also glad the Department of Insurance and insurance companies have avoided a lengthy, expensive administrative legal battle.”

The increases affect approximately 148,000 policyholders in North Carolina.

Unlike standard homeowners’ programs, both the MH-F and MH-C programs include flood coverage. The two programs are similar. However, the MH-F program provides coverage for a broader range of perils.

The agreement means a hearing on the issue scheduled for May 21 has been canceled.