Tag Archive for: #hendersonnews

Vance County Logo

TownTalk: Vance County EMS Ambulance Placement

/by

The Vance County Board of Commissioners voted 4-3 against a motion made by Commissioner Dan Brummitt to restore the location of the Vance County EMS ambulance to Bearpond Volunteer Fire Department.

The contract to house the ambulance at Bearpond VFD ended on June 30, 2026 and was not renewed.

Several commissioners expressed concern that this item was not brought before the board for review before being terminated.

Commissioner Yolanda Feimster said she learned about it from a social media post; Commissioner Valencia Perry, who also sits on the county’s Public Safety Committee, sent WIZS a copy of a letter late last week stating her objection to the removal of EMS services from Bearpond.

Commissioners Brummitt, Feimster and Perry cast votes in favor of restoring EMS services to Bearpond; Commissioners Leo Kelly, Tommy Hester, Carolyn Faines and Charisse Fain voted against.

At Monday’s meeting, Assistant EMS Director Billy Jenkins presented data that focused on calls and call volume, as well as days when there was limited staffing or no staffing.

When asked by Commissioner Tommy Hester for his recommendation, Jenkins said he would move the ambulance to the Central station.

Jenkins said the decision had nothing to do with any disagreement and said Bearpond leaders were aware that the EMS contract would be ending.

Increased call volume to the northern and central areas of the county have increased, and Jenkins said they are “bleeding red” as it relates to call data.

“EMS is always behind the eight ball,” Jenkins said. “We’re never going to have the trucks where you need them – never going to have enough staff.” He said he’d like to ultimately see two in the north, two in the south and four at a central location to be able to adequately cover the whole county.

He said it will take continued collaboration with county commissioners and county administration to achieve the goal of providing EMS service across the county.

Brummitt, who disputed the call volume data Jenkins presented as well as the projected response times to calls, said the contract should have been brought to commissioners, since it was a 5-year renewal. He said the county manager is authorized to negotiate contracts or leases that are up to one year in length.

Assistant County Manager Jeremy Jones is acting EMS director, County Manager Renee Perry said. Perry said she supports her staff’s decision.

CLICK PLAY!

Perry Memorial Library

The Local Skinny! Films, Fossils & Fun at Perry Memorial Library

/by

Books can transport readers to faraway lands, take them on fun adventures or lead them back through history. And now, with July’s heat cranked all the way up, Memorial Library Youth Services Director Melody Peters says the library is a very cool place – in every sense of the word – to enjoy the summer. Come and choose some books, then hang around for all the extra activities the library offers.

In addition to all the reading selections, children can enjoy movies – The Good Dinosaur is up this afternoon at 4:30 p.m., tying into the summer reading theme of Unearth A Story.

And the summertime STEAM activities continue next week with construction of catapults, Peters told WIZS’s Scout Hughes on Tuesday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

STEAM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math – and the activities are compliments of a partnership with Goodwill Industries of Eastern North Carolina.

The first program was a big hit – making pens using 3-D printers – and Peters said the kids loved it. So did she!

“I had never used anything like that,” she said. “It was really exciting to be able to create something like that.” You don’t just flip a switch or press a button, she said. There’s a bit of a learning curve and it takes time to understand how those printers work.

But it’s not all 21st century technology at the library. Next Tuesday, July 14, come check out the ancient sport of falconry. Chip Gentry with Hawk Manor Falconry will be in the gallery at 10:30 a.m. with his birds of prey to give patrons some insight into falconry, which has been around for thousands of years.

Then Coleman Davis of the N.C. Fossil Club is bringing his extensive fossil collection for the kids to see at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, July 14. “It is quite something to behold,” Peters said of the collection, which fits right in to the summer reading theme, too.

Then, on Thursday, July 16, visiting artist Michael Albert will lead a workshop from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. for youth ages 10-16.

Albert creates collages and his medium of choice is cereal boxes! Workshop participants will create their own collages.

Space is limited, so please register using the signup link at www.perrylibrary.org.

CLICK PLAY!

Cooperative Extension with Michael Ellington: Q&A Session

/by

Michael Ellington, on the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report:

Today’s show answers 4 common gardening questions from listeners about lawn care, gardening, soil amendments, and backyard chickens.

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 Vance Recreation & Parks

Help The Area’s Newest Park Make A Real Splash On Thursday, July 9!

/by

Grab your swim gear and head over to the William & Montgomery Street Park at 11 a.m. on Thursday, July 9 to take part in a fitness campaign! The newest recreation spot that features a splash pad, skate park, walking trail and fitness stations is the perfect spot to cool off from the summer heat.

It’ll be fun for all ages and a chance to check out the all the great ways to get a little exercise and have a lot of fun.

Bring your swim gear, towels and plenty of smiles to enjoy a new place in downtown Henderson to play, connect and create memories.

The park is a collaboration with the city of Henderson, Vance County and the Henderson-Vance Recreation & Parks Department.

Vance County Historical Society To Install Memorial Book At Meeting On Monday, July 6

/by

The Vance County Historical Society will meet Monday, July 6, 2026 at 5 p.m. to officially install the Vance County Memorial Book that contains the names of Vance County citizens who have died in service to their country.

This meeting is open to the public, and will include a program that will discuss the biographies of some of those who are remembered in the book. The book contains the names of those service members who died in military service since the county was established in 1881.

The meeting will be held in the Farm Bureau Meeting Room of Perry Memorial Library.

Reminder Of Traffic Detour Friday, July 3 At Satterwhite Point, Anderson Creek Roads To Accommodate Fireworks Traffic

/by

Vance County Tourism officials remind folks of the temporary detour that will be in place along Satterwhite Road and Anderson Creek Road on Friday evening to accommodate fireworks traffic.

Traffic will be detoured temporarily for approximately 1.25 hours on Friday evening, July 3 between 9:15 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. from Satterwhite Point Road (SR 1319) onto Anderson Creek Rd. (SR 1374).

The detour will help reduce congestion and allow for timely clearing of vehicular traffic occurring immediately after the conclusion of the annual Independence Day Celebration and fireworks display at Satterwhite Point Park.

During the detour period, traffic traveling north/northwest on Satterwhite Point Rd (SR 1319) will be halted at the intersection of Anderson Creek Rd. (SR 1374). Traffic leaving the park headed south back toward Henderson will be detoured east onto Anderson Creek Rd (SR 1374) and then south onto Flemingtown Rd (SR 1371) to its intersection with I-85.

The closure/detour is coordinated and executed by the Vance County Sheriff’s Office and the NC Highway Patrol.

Home and Garden Show

/by

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

  • The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8am-1pm.
  • Keep hydrated, drink water and do garden chores early or late in the day.
  • If going on vacation, have someone harvest your vegetables while you are away.
  • Keep your garden journal updated daily.
  • Identify insects before spraying a chemical. Cooperative Extension can help with insect or disease identification.
  • If you have more vegetables than you need, share them with someone else that can’t grow a garden.
  • Check your garden for harvestable vegetables each day.
  • Keep your rain gauge clean and empty after recording any rain in your garden journal.
  • Continue your fruit spray program according to product directions.
  • Harvest early in the day and get vegetables under refrigeration as soon as possible.
  • 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

Click Play!