Tag Archive for: #hendersonnews

The Local Skinny! Make Music Day 2026 Coming To Vance County

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Dr. Alice Sallins, Vance County Arts Council Executive Director joins The Local Skinny! to talk about Make Music Day all across the world and here in Vance County, which will take place on Sunday, June 21st from 9am-9pm all over Vance County.

(Our WIZS written coverage will appear here soon.)

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TownTalk: KTCOG Elder Abuse Conference Coming to Warrenton, June 12

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Kim Hawkins, Regional Long Term Care Ombudsman for the Kerr Tar Regional Council of Governments, joins TownTalk to discuss the Elder Abuse Conference & Walk on June 12th in Warrenton.

(Our WIZS written coverage will appear here soon.)

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Maria Parham Orthopaedics Lunch & Learn June 19 In South Hill, VA

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Maria Parham Health will host a free Lunch & Learn focused on the latest advancements in orthopaedic surgery on Thursday, June 19, at noon at 313 Franklin – Cocktails and Kitchen, located at 313 Franklin St. in South Hill, Virginia.

The event will feature Darius Divina, DO, of Maria Parham Orthopaedics, who will discuss MAKO robotic-arm technology and how it is transforming joint replacement procedures through personalized surgical planning and precision-guided care.

Attendees will learn how MAKO technology uses 3D models of a patient’s anatomy to help surgeons customize procedures, potentially leading to faster recovery, improved joint function and a quicker return to daily activities.

“We are proud to offer opportunities like this Lunch & Learn to help educate our communities about advances in healthcare technology and treatment options,” said Bert Beard, CEO of Maria Parham Health. “Orthopaedic care continues to evolve, and we are excited to connect patients with experts like Dr. Divina who are bringing innovative solutions closer to home.”

The event is free and open to the public, but registration is encouraged due to limited seating. Community members can register using the QR code featured on event promotional materials on the hospital’s Facebook page. Participants can also register online using the link at MariaParham.com.

For more information about Maria Parham Orthopaedics, visit https://www.mariaparham.com/maria-parham-health.

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TownTalk: Vance County Government Public Hearing & Public Comment Rules

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The Vance County Board of Commissioners has adopted policies that spell out how individuals are expected to conduct themselves when addressing the board during public comment periods and during public hearings.

The public comment policy covers 10 different points which go into detail about the various aspects ranging from its length – 30 minutes – to the topics a speaker may discuss – “the business and activities of the county.”

The public comment policy is just more than a page long, and includes a summarized version in paragraph form at its conclusion.

The public comment period is designed to allow members of the public to speak to the board about “matters that are relevant to the body to which the comments are made;” it is different than a public hearing, which is a formal opportunity for the public to speak on a certain topic before the commissioners.

Individuals who wish to speak during the public comment portion of a commissioners’ meeting need to sign up in the 30-minute period that takes place before a commissioners’ meeting. That 30-minute period ends 15 minutes before the start of the meeting. So if the board meeting begins at 6 p.m., prospective speakers should sign up between 5:15 p.m. and 5:45 p.m.

Speakers sign in with the clerk by providing their full name, their contact information and the topic they wish to discuss.

Comments are restricted to the business and activities of the county. Each speaker will have 3 minutes to address the board. A speaker can have an additional 3 minutes from another person who’s signed up to speak, with the total number of minutes by one speaker not to exceed 10 minutes.

Speakers will be called in the order they signed up and if a group of speakers presents itself, that group must designate a spokesperson. If the group doesn’t choose a spokesperson, the board chair or designee can choose a spokesperson or refuse to hear from the group until they choose a single person to speak on the group’s behalf.

Those speakers who want to address the board in a language other than English must first offer remarks in English. The standard 3-minute rule applies, with no additional time provided. A speaker may ask that a translator be used if the speaker is unable to present remarks in English.

View the commissioners’ public comment policy in its entirety at https://www.vancecounty.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Public-Comment-Policy-Revised-May-2026.pdf

 

The public hearing policy lists 8 guidelines, several of which are similar in nature to those of the public comment policy.

One difference, however, is that speakers are limited to 3 minutes and may not receive additional time from others. A spokesperson for a group of three or more may speak up to 8 minutes, with additional time given at the board’s discretion.

Another difference is that a speaker will be asked to note whether he’s in favor of or in opposition to the topic he or she wishes to discuss.

 

View the commissioners’ public hearing policy in its entirety at

https://www.vancecounty.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Public-Hearing-Policy-May-2026.pdf

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Home and Garden Show

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On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.

  • The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is open on Saturdays, from 8am-1pm.
  • Check moisture in hanging planters each day.
  • Open ends of rows that have standing water in them after storms.
  • Spray weed killers when the wind blows less. Be mindful of chemical drift.
  • Purchase two sprayers label one for weed killers and label one for insecticides.
  • If you planted seed in your garden and ample rain has occurred, be mindful of soil crusting. You need to slightly loosen the soil surface to help the seed to emerge well.
  • Check your garden weekly for insects and disease.
  • Monitor plants for Nitrogen deficiency. Yellow green leaves are the first sign of nitrogen deficiency.
  • Continue your fruit spray program according to product directions.
  • Record rainfall each day in your garden journal.
  • Get your vegetable publications from Cooperative Extension.
  • Check houseplants dust weekly with a soft cloth.
  • Check storage areas for mice.

The Vance County Cooperative Extension Building 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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Review of City of Henderson Public Hearing on Budget

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Three individuals signed up to speak at the Henderson City Council’s public hearing on the FY 26-27 budget that was held on Thursday, May 21 but it took more than 40 minutes for those speakers to address the Council members.

For the first half hour or more, several Council members had questions for City Manager Paylor Spruill and Finance Director Joey Fuqua that centered around how the city got itself into the undesirable situation of having to dip into fund balance in order to balance the budget.

In his response to Mayor Pro Tem Tami Walker’s question about the pay study implementation, Fuqua reminded Council members about how more than $4 million in federal ARPA funds had been used to help address employee turnover and retention rates.

About 80 percent of municipalities across the state offer a cost of living adjustment each year, he added, but Henderson has been able to offer a COLA only four out of the last 10 years.

It was FY 2025 that the salary increases started, and Fuqua said the city spent “an enormous amount of fund balance” to balance that budget.

“When those salaries hit the bottom line,” he said, “we’re on the hook for that every year.”

This year’s $51.7 million budget also earmarks $5 million from the fund balance to balance the budget. As Fuqua explained, that doesn’t mean that is the final number that will be needed, but represents a maximum amount from the unassigned fund balance that could be used.

The FY 26 budget audit has not been finalized yet, but Fuqua said if the city uses another $1.2 million or so as it needed for FY 25, then his prediction becomes clearer: the fund balance is set “to take another record-breaking hit. Without new revenue streams, next year at this time we’ll be in an even more challenging situation” because there won’t be enough money in fund balance to offset the shortfall.

The City Council will have another budget session on Thursday, May 28 at 5 p.m. in Council chambers.

The 2026-27 budget must be approved before the new fiscal year begins on July 1.

 

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TownTalk: Franklin County Sends Letter To KLRWS For Terms To Be Met

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In a letter to the owners of the Kerr Lake Regional Water System dated May 21, Franklin County Manager Ryan Preble posed a couple of possible solutions to his county’s need for more water.

The six-page letter recounted efforts undertaken by Franklin County over the past almost 20 years to find a way to bring more water to an area experiencing explosive growth, seemingly with no end in sight.

Preble sent the letter to City Manager Paylor Spruill, Warren County Manager Crystal Smith and Oxford City Manager Brent Taylor – Henderson is a 60 percent owner of the KLRWS and Warren County and the City of Oxford each have a 20 percent share in ownership.

In March, Franklin County asked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for its own allocation of water from Kerr Lake – 16.7 million gallons a day. That request will be considered but no answer is expected for more than a year.

The regional water system is undergoing an expansion that will increase capacity to 20 million gallons per day, but Preble’s letter states that it would be too costly and impractical for Franklin County to pay as a customer.

In his conclusion, Preble offers the three water system owners “options” and gives the three entities 30 days to accept the terms.

Here’s an excerpt from the letter:

“Franklin has been in discussions within the region about short-term and long-term water supply for at least 19 years (since 2007). Henderson supplies Franklin with an additional 450,000 GPD but that is all Henderson is willing to do given the size of its water distribution infrastructure. Franklin respects that. Short-term, Franklin cannot pay $35 million for 2.5 MGD when there are other potential sellers at a lower cost. Franklin is open to regional discussions, but KLRWS must either agree to sell at an agreed-upon fair market value of a 51% stake in KLRWS or sell a lower percentage interest but give Franklin the right to expand at its cost to develop additional capacity that belongs to Franklin (the Basic Terms). If either of these options are amenable, we would like to discuss terms to move this forward. Any business formation issues (create an authority or a joint venture) are irrelevant unless Franklin is going to solve its supply challenge with a regional solution.

Please indicate your willingness to accept the Basic Terms within thirty (30) days of the date of this letter, by June 21, 2026. If you would like to setup (sic) a meeting after accepting the Basic Terms, please let me know.”

Find the full text of the letter here https://www.franklincountync.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2089/Letter-from-County-Manager-Ryan-Preble-on-Regional-Water-Discussions—May-21-2026-PDF

 

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