Tag Archive for: #hendersonnews

Cooperative Extension with Michael Ellington: Easy to Compost

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Michael Ellington, on the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report:

This segment demonstrates how easy it can be to compost at home.

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!

‘Tricky’ Weather Prompts Maria Parham Health To Send ‘Trunk Or Treat’ Indoors

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Maria Parham Health’s Trunk or Treat event will still take place on Tuesday, Oct. 28, but, thanks to rainy weather predicted for the next few days, organizers have decided to send the costumed kiddos inside to get their goodies.

This is the fifth year for the event, but it’ll be the first time that it’s not a drive-thru affair. The trick-or-treating will be from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., said MPH Public Information Officer Donna Young. Enter through the Main Lobby of the hospital and follow a clearly marked loop that will lead you out through the doors of the Heart & Vascular department.

All trick-or-treaters must be accompanied by an adult, Young noted. “We can’t wait to see all your creative costumes and smiles – rain or shine, the fun goes on inside!” she said.

For more information, please contact Donna Young at donna.young@lpnt.net.

Youth and Community See Joy, Diversity with Phase 1 of 3 and Re-Dedication

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Kendrick Vann looked out over the crowd gathered for the Chestnut Street park rededication Thursday afternoon, with its bright blue basketball courts and nearby playground and picnic areas and commented on another beautiful aspect: the folks who’d come together to be a part of the activities.

“The most beautiful thing about this project,” Vann said, “You look around – we’ve got a diverse group out here. And these kids are a diverse group – that’s beautiful for our area,” he said.

Vernon Brown spent many an hour honing his basketball skills on the Chestnut Street courts back in the early 1970’s. The longtime member of the Recreation Advisory Committee, Brown recounted the history of the courts – located on the site of a warehouse that burned during a tumultuous period of boycotts and unrest in the city.

Those blacktop courts proved to be so popular, Brown said kids waited in line for at least an hour to have their turn to play.

“Soon, and very soon,” Brown said, “there will be hundreds of people out here and these basketball courts will be full.”

Thursday’s rededication marked the completion of Phase 1 of the project, which took off in earnest in January 2024 when Joshua Jones, Charles “C.J” Turrentine, Jr. and others talked about making some modest improvements.

Those modest improvements turned into a $100,000 revitalization project, fueled by generous donors and grants. “We’ve got two more phases to go,” Turrentine said. “This is not the end – we’re just getting started.”

Recreation Advisory Council Chair Donna Stearns, a retired employee of the recreation and parks department, recalled how busy the park was in the mid-1980’s.

“I find joy that we found this to do together,” Stearns said in remarks at the event. “I’ve never seen it look so good. This is a community-oriented project. And look what we’ve done!”

Henderson Mayor Melissa Elliott said the rededication also is a celebration of what can be achieved through partnerships with the community, government agencies and the faith-based community.

Elliott thanked Turrentine for the vision and everyone who participated in the project.

“This is not just a rededication,” she said. “This is hope… for our students and our families to come together.”

Click Here to Listen Including Ceremony Audio

(This news post originally appeared on WIZS.com on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025)

Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Small Fruit Orchards

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Wayne Rowland, on the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report:

Small fruit orchards can be grown well with selection and planning.

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!

Henderson City Council Gives Go-Ahead To Pursue CDBG Funding For Kings Daughters Park Revitalization

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In a special called meeting, the Henderson City Council approved Friday morning to move ahead with a grant application to make significant renovations to Kings Daughters Park, including making it handicap accessible for multi-generational users.

As interim City Manager Paylor Spruill explained, this Community Development Block Grant funding is a variation that does not require housing construction; rather, it’s for neighborhood revitalization.

The meeting was called to allow for a required second public hearing on the matter. Four individuals spoke during the public hearing.

The grant also requires no match, and the initial $150,000 would be used to complete Phase 1, said Kendrick Vann, director of the Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Department and assistant to the city manager.

In addition to improving the park’s accessibility, Phase 1 would also enhance the amphitheater, allowing for future concerts in the park, Vann said.

The total price tag when Phase 2 is completed, would be about $1.25 million and would include shelters and a walking trail for health and wellness.

Talks are under way to create an environmental design for the park, located at 600 W. Montgomery Street. Vann said this project fits with the focus on revitalization of the Elmwood and West End areas of the city.

Vann said the Kerr-Tar COG has been instrumental in getting paperwork for the grant completed and submitted, and with Council support, it can be completed before the looming deadline.

Vann said the project has received letters of support from a variety of community entities, including Vance County, Smart Start, FVW Opportunity, Inc. and Gateway CDC.

Spruill said to expect to hear something in early 2026.

Henderson City Council Special Called Meeting 10 A.M. Friday, Oct. 24 For CDBG Public Hearing, Closed Session

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–      Public Notice from Henderson City Clerk Tracey Kimbrell

The Henderson City Council will hold a Special Called Meeting on Friday, October 24, 2025, to hold a Public Hearing to solicit input on local community development needs in relation to Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding for a project in the community and to hold a closed session pursuant to NC General Statute regarding a Personnel Matter.  The meeting will take place at 10:00 a.m. at City Hall in City Council Chambers, 134 Rose Avenue.  The public is welcome.

The City of Henderson anticipates submitting a CDBG application in 2025. Information on the amount of funding available, the requirements on benefit to low-and-moderate income persons, eligible activities, and plans to minimize displacement and provide displacement assistance as necessary will be available. Citizens will also be given the opportunity to provide oral and written comments on Henderson’s use of CDBG funds. All interested citizens are encouraged to attend.

The meeting will be streamed at youtube.com/@CityofHenderson-NC

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