Tag Archive for: #hendersonnews

The Local Skinny! Showtime At McGregor

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Auditions for the upcoming “Showtime at McGregor Hall” will be held this Saturday, Nov. 9 – it’s time to show up and show off those talents and let them shine!

Connie Ragland Productions and the nonprofit “Reclaiming Our Youth” are teaming up to sponsor the showcase, a program which Connie Ragland described as similar to the famous “Showtime at the Apollo,” the long-running variety show that features up-and-coming talent live from the famed Apollo Theater in New York City.

The in-person auditions will be held from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at The Church of the Holy Innocents, 210 S. Chestnut St. across from Perry Memorial Library. The show will take place on Saturday, Dec. 14 at 3 p.m. at McGregor Hall.

It’s a way to provide local entertainment to the community, Ragland said on Wednesday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

“This is a fantastic opportunity for everyone to shine, build confidence, and share their gifts with the community,” Ragland stated.

And don’t let that word “audition” scare you off, she said. The auditions are just a way to get an idea of what type of musical accompaniment participants may need.

“Chances are, we’re not turning anyone away,” she said. The auditions will give organizers an idea of how best to line up the various performances to make the show its very best.

“Get in the show,” Ragland said. “You will not regret it!”

There is no fee to register to take part in the showcase, but each performer must have a completed registration form on file. You can either bring the completed form to the audition or fill one out the day of the audition.

Tickets for the show are $15 for youth under 18 and $20 for adults.

Proceeds will be used to defray the cost of the show, as well as to benefit local youth ministries, including Empowered, a youth ministry that local teenager, evangelist and podcaster Jayden Watkins formed about a year ago.

“I really hope we receive a diverse group of individuals – youth and adults” who want to perform in the talent showcase.

“My goal is to promote unity,” Ragland added. “I don’t want anyone to feel like it’s not for them…come out and help support this cause – everyone is welcome.”

Contact Ragland by email at connierag@gmail.com or call her at 252.590.0303 to learn more. Find the registration form at https://bit.ly/3CeUXHD.

Although the audition is mandatory, Ragland said she is open to receiving video clips from participants who have difficulty with making the in-person audition.

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Home And Garden Show

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

  • Vance County Regional Farmers Market is open on Saturdays 8am-1pm. 
  • The Vance and Warren County Beekeepers Association will meet November 11, at 7pm at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market. 
  • The Handcrafted Holiday Market is coming up at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market. Saturday, November 16th from 8am-2pm. 
  • Leaf collection season is upon us. Compost your leaves. Don’t burn them. 
  • Do not let any weeds seed out in your garden. 
  • We are in dry conditions right now. Not a whole lot of rain is expected. 
  • Take your soil samples to the Vance County Cooperative Extension. 

The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is located at 210 Southpark Dr., Henderson, NC 27536 

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Maria Parham Health Hosts Reception, Meet And Greet For Surgical Robot

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Part of Maria Parham Hospital’s main lobby was set up Monday to simulate one of its operating rooms, but not just a run-of-the-mill OR. Yes, there were some usual sights – a “patient” on a table, employees in scrubs, but there also was a console, a monitor and a device situated over the operating table with arm-like extensions.

It was all a part of a daylong reception to officially welcome a robot called Da Vinci to its new home at Maria Parham.

Maria Parham Public Information Officer Donna Young said the robot is a product of medical device company Intuitive; it’s been helping out in OR 3 since Oct. 1.

The hospital held a contest to encourage folks in the community to suggest a name for the four-armed high-tech equipment, which was announced at the end of the reception. Drum roll, please: Lady D is the robot’s name – short for Lady da Vinci.

Three surgeons use the system at this point, but others will complete the training so they can use it, too.

Instead of standing or sitting beside the patient, the surgeon peers into a console to see the area of the body being operated on and manipulates with the thumb and middle finger in a glove-like device that moves the robot’s arms.

Two Intuitive representatives were on hand Monday to answer questions about the device and to invite individuals to test out the system, which allows surgeons to perform complex operations with precision and control.

Maria Parham’s robot will be used for abdominal surgeries, but future plans include adding some urological and gynecological procedures, hospital officials said.

 

In addition to the advantages that the robot offers surgeons, patients also benefit from the minimally invasive surgeries and procedures, including a lower risk of infection, smaller scars, less trauma to surrounding healthy tissue and a quicker recovery.

Perry Memorial Library

The Local Skinny! Events At Perry Memorial Library For November

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It’s DiNo-vember at Perry Memorial Library and Youth Services Director Melody Peters said this month’s activities will embrace all things dinosaurs.

“We’ve got some great activities,” Peters said – who doesn’t love a good dinosaur? From the ferocious T-Rex and raptors with razor-sharp teeth to the mild-mannered stegosaurus, dinosaurs fuel children’s imaginations.

Peters said it’s the first time since she’s been here that she’s used the theme.

Thursday’s Mother Goose story time at 11 a.m. will have a dino theme this month, and the Story Walk outside the library will, too.

Then there’s Pajama Story Time at 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 12 and Family Story Time on Sunday, Nov. 17 at 3:30 p.m.

But wait! There’s more!

Peters said she’s excited to announce that children can participate in a special “adopt a dino” activity. What’s the catch? Well, you have to read a book to the stuffed dinosaur (non-readers can get some help from a family member) and then that plush animal can find its way home with you, she said.

Peters said she must give credit where credit is due for the idea of “DiNo”-vember. The idea originated, she said, from some very creative parents whose young child was not sleeping at night. They created lifelike dinosaur scenes throughout the house, which gave the children something to do and distract them long enough for them to settle down and get back to sleep.

“It just shows you what families with young kids (do), get creative to solve problems,” Peters said.

Visit https://www.perrylibrary.org/home to learn about all the programs and services the library offers.

 

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TownTalk: Economic Development In Vance County

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As the county’s new economic development director, Ferdinand Rouse has spent his first few months on the job taking stock of all the things that make Vance County attractive to prospective business and industry.

But he’s also digging into the county’s history and the people who have helped to shape it over the years so he can build on what’s been done before he came to town.

“Vance County is in a position of change – and growth,” Rouse said on Tuesday’s TownTalk. With a nod to previous economic development director McKinley Perkinson and interim Harry Mills, Rouse said he chooses “to pick up where they left off and move us forward.”

With one-year, three-year and five-year goals in mind for the county, Rouse said a personal goal is to introduce himself to business and industry owners in the county, and to let them know about a couple of state grants that could be helpful when they’re ready to expand.

One is a building reuse grant, available for businesses that are planning an expansion that will add a certain number of employees to the payroll. A second grant called One NC originates from the N.C. Dept. of Commerce and offsets costs that business and industry use to create jobs.

Although both require local matches, but Rouse said they are “very good grants that I like to spread the news about for larger industries.”

Economic development often is associated with attracting new business – manufacturing, industrial, retail – to an area, but Rouse reminds that a lot of growth comes from the existing industry base within a county’s boundaries.

He does have his eyes on a few spots in the county that could be ripe for development in the future, he said, but it’s too early to predict just how it’ll play out.

As a product of eastern North Carolina, Rouse said he’s familiar with what it means to live in a rural area and the pride associated with those roots.

“It’s a tightrope you have to walk when you’re talking about bringing growth to a rural community,” he said. “Folks don’t want folks coming in from the outside” if they sense that their rural lifestyle is threatened.

Rouse said the Industrial Park, with its shell building ready for a business to come in and finish to its particular needs is one of the county’s biggest assets when it comes to attractive new business. And it’s certainly something he’s sure to point out when he’s networking, or as he said, being “the tip of the spear” when it comes to all the opportunities within the park and the county as a whole.

Another tip of another spear in the county’s quiver could easily be tourism, Rouse mused. People who come to visit – whether it’s the annual car show, boating and camping at Kerr Lake or any of a variety of destinations – can learn first-hand about the county’s amenities.

And when retirement rolls around, some of these tourists can become full-time residents.

With the county’s recent retirement community designation from the state, Rouse said there is great potential for Vance County to gain residents who not only bring a wealth of experience, but disposable income and a desire to give back to their new community.

“They still have money and they still have energy,” he said. “Retirees are a boon and a blessing.”

He said local tourism officials are doing all the right things to support economic growth.

“Tourism…can bring great success to your community.”

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Cooperative Extension With Michael Ellington: Micronutrients – Zinc, Copper, Molybdenum And Nickel

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Cooperative 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.

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TownTalk: Downtown Henderson An Opportunity For Diversity

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Downtown Henderson could become a center for diversity and growth.

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More Affordable Housing Coming To Henderson – Hicks Village On Winder Street/Eddie Hicks Drive

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Henderson is set to add about a dozen new townhomes to its inventory as it continues to address the need for affordable housing.

Developers hope to break ground in spring 2025 on the roughly two-acre tract located across the street from Kesler Temple on Winder Street. The result will be 10-12 single family homes known as Hicks Village.

The announcement was made shortly after city leaders unveiled on Friday, Nov. 1 signs designating Winder Street as Eddie James Hicks Drive. Hicks was a member of Kesler Temple, and Henderson Mayor Melissa Elliott said, “Hicks Village stands as a remarkable testament to hard work and dedication, reflecting the commitment of the late Eddie Hicks, a vital member of our community. It is truly fitting to honor his legacy.”

The project’s developer is James Stroud, with the Centre for Homeownership & Economic Development. Stroud was on hand for the sign dedication ceremony and subsequent announcement and ribbon-cutting at the site of the future Hicks Village, where he said he hopes to keep the prices “very, very affordable.”

Elliott told WIZS News that she remembers when she became a homeowner. “I can attest that once the keys were placed in my hand, I felt a sense of pride that cannot be diminished,” she said.

“Hicks Village represents the beginning of a new narrative for our citizens. It demonstrates that if you can afford $1000 for rent, you can become a proud homeowner. As Mayor, I want this message to resonate throughout our community: you can purchase a home— a home that is safe and beautiful.”

Henderson City Council member Geraldine Champion was among the elected officials at the Friday event and said she was proud of the collaborative efforts involved in the day’s activities.

“…At last, the people of Henderson have some real options along with just being a renter,” Champion said. “They have the option to take pride in their surroundings and being able to afford what we all deserve. The New Council is taking strides to bring forth something for the citizens that we all can be proud of. We are working hard to make a difference one brick at a time, one community at a time,” she added.

Elliott said the city is offering homebuyer workshops with HUD-certified realtors to address the issue of high rental rates. “While every community needs rental properties, there is an overwhelming number of such properties within our city limits that come with exorbitant rental prices. Although not all rental properties are affected, many fall into that category,” she said.

“I aspire to be a conduit for helping others achieve one of the most significant investments in their lifetime – buying a home,” Elliott said.