Tag Archive for: #hendersonnews

TownTalk: Housing And Discrimination

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Finding a new place to live can create all kinds of feelings, from excitement to anxiety. But looking for a new place where you and your family call home should NOT make you feel like you’re being discriminated against.

Hope Williams, supervising attorney with N.C. Legal Aid’s Fair Housing Project, said anyone who feels like they have encountered discrimination during the search for a place to live has some recourse.

The Fair Housing Act became law in 1968, a time when discrimination may have been more blatant. “We are still fighting to stop discrimination in housing,” she said on Monday’s TownTalk, although today’s cases may be more subtle – and perhaps more difficult to prove.

She said her office has three attorneys that serve the whole state. They are able to represent some clients, but they simply don’t have the staff to take on all the cases.

“We talk to people who call us and we give them advice about their legal issues,” she said. They help clients file administrative complaints with the federal Housing and Urban Development agency and with the N.C. Human Relations Commission.

They also focus on community education and training to raise awareness about what discrimination is and what it looks like. For instance, many people wrongly assume that fair housing rules only apply to subsidized housing. Not true. It applies to all housing.

Administrative complaints must be filed within one year of the encounter; there is an option to file a complaint in the courts system, which has a two-year window.

One piece of advice Williams has for anyone who feels that they have been the subject of housing discrimination: document everything.

Looking at interactions and communications over time sometimes can help provide critical evidence. “We make timelines to look for patterns,” she said.

Many complaints come from individuals with disabilities. Landlords must comply with “reasonable accommodations” that allow disabled people access. In such cases, the tenant is responsible for the cost of the accommodation – think wheelchair ramp or other physical structure – and for returning the dwelling to its original state if and when they vacate the dwelling.

The bottom line is a landlord can’t just refuse to allow a reasonable accommodation.

Same thing with a service animal, Williams said. A person who uses a service animal would be responsible for any damage by an animal, but he or she can’t be required to pay an upfront pet fee.

Call the Fair Housing Project’s direct line at N.C. Legal Aid at 855.797.FAIR.

Visit www.fairhousingnc.org to learn more.

 

 

Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Invasive Plants

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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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Study: McGregor Hall Huge Boost For City’s Economic Health

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As McGregor Hall gears up for another jam-packed season of concerts, plays and more, its Executive Director Mark Hopper knows that a well-attended event at the downtown venue creates a big ripple effect felt throughout the city.

And Hopper has a study to back him up.

Well, it’s in draft form, but the board got the initial results at the meeting earlier this week.

“The numbers that we see, so far, are very exciting,” Hopper said during Thursday’s segment of The Local Skinny.”

A previous economic impact study looked at a 12-month period during 2018-2019, and results indicated that McGregor Hall contributed just shy of $3 million to the city’s economy.

The most recent study looks at the 4-year period between 2019 and 2022 and it states that McGregor Hall contributed about $15.6 million during that time. And, Hopper reminded, two of those years the venue was shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

When folks come to a competition, show or concert in downtown Henderson, there’s a good chance that they’re going to find a restaurant or lodging, too, Hopper said.

Those meals and overnight stays add up over time and put more money in local businesses and tax revenues as well.

One revision Hopper and the board would like to see is a year-by-year breakdown so they can have a better idea of impact per year.

The study is looking only at McGregor Hall’s impact within the city limits, but Hopper said the county surely benefits as well and folks in the tourism department are always happy to talk up events at McGregor Hall.

“Pam (Hester) has been on our team since Day 1,” Hopper said. “She’s been a great advocate for us.”

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Coming up at the end of January, legendary beach music band The Tams will perform, followed by some beach music with a West Coast flavor when Sail On – The Beach Boys Tribute comes to town on Friday, Feb. 9.

McGregor Hall will host Contemporary Christian musician Michael W. Smith on Thursday, Mar. 7 at 7:30 p.m.

“This is a big one for us – we’re on his national tour,” Hopper said.

And comedian Karen Knotts will take the stage on Sunday, Mar. 17 for a matinee performance called “Tied Up In Knotts,” a time to entertain the audience with stories about her dad, Don Knotts.

Visit mcgregorhall.org for a complete schedule of events and to purchase tickets.

Home And Garden Show

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Home and Garden Show

first line of body of wordpress is always — On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.

  • What are your garden goals for 2024?
  • Construct frames for new raised beds. Many different options are available. Aim for a rooting depth of 10 inches.
  • When ordering seed check for disease resistant varieties.
  • Prep last year’s containers for spring planting.
  • Try growing a new vegetable that you haven’t grown before ex arugula
  • Invest in lightweight row covers so you’ll have the flexibility to plant early.
  • Check stored fruits and vegetables
  • Get a good quality grow light if you will be trying to start seeds indoors.
  • Check storage areas for mice.

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Democratic Party

Gubernatorial Candidate Josh Stein ‘Meet And Greet’ Set For Jan. 24 At Perry Memorial Library

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Gubernatorial candidate Josh Stein will visit Henderson on Wednesday, Jan. 24, according to information from local Democratic Party officials.

Bad weather forced Stein’s Jan. 9 visit to be cancelled, and Vance County Democratic Party Chair Angela Thornton said she’s thrilled that Stein and his team rescheduled.

In an email to WIZS News Wednesday, Thornton said scheduling conflicts sometime prevent candidates from visiting as many places as they’d like.

“When we received confirmation (that) Vance County was in the works for his visit, we were thrilled…and are even more thrilled…that they made an effort to reschedule so quickly,” she stated.

The community is invited to come to the meet and greet event, which will be held at Perry Memorial Library. The doors will open at 5 p.m. and the program will begin at 5:30 p.m.

 

Perry Memorial Library

The Local Skinny! Programs For Youngsters At Perry Memorial Library

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It may not have a fireplace for patrons to cozy up to as they peruse their books and magazines, but  Perry Memorial Library has a full schedule of programs that can be just the ticket for youngsters when it’s too cold to be outside.

Youth Services Director Melody Peters was with WIZS’s Bill Harris on Tuesday’s segment of The Local Skinny! to give a rundown of programs and activities to keep kids busy during the cold of winter.

Kids Connect kicks off 2024 next Tuesday at 4 p.m. A park ranger from the Kerr Lake will present a program -geared to the students in grades K-5 – about wildlife in the state recreation area.

“The ranger does a great job talking about the animals you might see, tracks you might see,” Peters said. Children will get to make a cast of an animal track that they can take home, she added.

Then, on Jan. 22, the inaugural “Community Read Aloud” will take place from 5:30 p.m. to about 6 p.m.

Participants of all ages, but especially new readers or struggling readers, will get a chance to practice reading aloud.
“It’s important to be read to,” Peters said, “even adults. You’re never too old to be read to.”

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With a nod to Valentine’s Day, the Found Object Art project on Feb. 13 will also include chocolate fondue.

Participants will get a chance to dip their favorite food items in the melted chocolate to create a yummy confection – think marshmallows, pretzels and more dipped in warm, velvety chocolate.

The fondue experience surely will inspire some creativity as participants create art with random items like bottle caps, string, nails, newspaper

“It’s an exploration in art” and a chance to be creative, Peters said. Found Object art begins at 4 p.m.

Visit https://www.perrylibrary.org/ for a complete schedule of upcoming events at the library.

Heavy Rainfall Creates Second Wastewater Overflow In As Many Weeks

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From the City of Henderson:

 

The City of Henderson’s Sewer Collection System bypassed approximately 51,800 gallons of untreated water on Jan. 12, 2024 due to inflow/infiltration from heavy rains.  The overflows occurred at Sandy Creek Pump Station, Julia Ave Pump Station, and several manholes including Neathery Street, intersection of N. Pinkston Street/Farrar Avenue, 1 manhole in Green Acres Outfall, East Rockspring Street, and Bridgers Street. Approximately 50,750 gallons of untreated water entered tributaries to Sandy Creek, Red Bud Creek, and Nutbush Creek. Approximately 1,050 gallons of untreated water was contained on the ground.

North Carolina General Statutes article 21 chapter 143.215.1c requires a press release for all bypasses of 1,000 gallons or more that enter surface waters.

Questions concerning this matter should be directed to Joey Long Jr – Collection System ORC at 252-226-4492, Christy Lipscomb – HWRF Director/ORC at 252-430-9387, or Public Works Director – Lee Owen at 252-431-0419.