Tag Archive for: #hendersonnews

Judge Deems Swain Drive Property Eligible For “Nuisance Abatement”

/by

A superior court judge has signed a consent judgment for a Chapter 19 nuisance abatement for a property on Swain Drive.

After a long history of disturbances, drug violations and numerous calls to the Vance County Sheriff’s Office, Judge John Dunlow’s judgment was the final step in a civil nuisance abatement case brought by the County of Vance on behalf of the State of North Carolina, according to a press statement late last week from the Department of Public Safety. “Chapter 19 of the North Carolina General Statutes defines ‘nuisance’ activities and provides for a civil remedy to abate such criminal acts and their detrimental impacts on the community,” the statement read.

The property, located at 398 Swain Drive, has been a problem for years, “causing the community to live in fear and constantly draining emergency services and law enforcement resources,” according to Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame.

“This remedy is a result of an outstanding investigation between Vance County officials, members of the ALE Nuisance Abatement Team and cooperation from the family members who owned this property,” Brame stated in the press release.

The property has been tied up in an estate with multiple heirs. The terms of the consent judgment relinquished the property deed to a family member, who in turn would remove all structures except the brick house.  All trash and debris would be removed from the property, and it may never be used for illegal activity again. The judgment ordered the property be vacated by April 1, and anyone on the property would be charged with trespassing.

Sheriff Brame expressed gratitude for the effort and outcome. “I appreciate the cooperation from the property owner as we worked to solve this problem and hope this successful resolution will ensure the community returns to a more peaceful life.”

“The nuisance abatement law provides a solution for citizens living in fear and for problem locations that strain law enforcement resources. These properties reduce the quality of life for community members.” said Scottie Shoaf, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Nuisance Abatement Team. “It was a pleasure to work with the Vance County Sheriff’s Office and members from this community to bring a permanent resolution to this problem and I look forward to the positive changes this judgment will facilitate.”

The Local Skinny! What’s Up With Those Chestnut Street Intersections?

/by

Drivers who travel along Chestnut Street experience a variety of ways to proceed through intersections – with varying degrees of user-friendliness.

But John C. Rose got a few answers from Henderson Assistant City Manager Paylor Spruill and provided some updates to the stop, go, whoa situation along a fairly heavily traveled city street during the Monday segment of The Local Skinny!

The light with Chestnut and Montgomery streets died of old age, and city staff have not been able to find replacement parts to make a repair. So that light was retired, Spruill told WIZS in an email. And until a new light can be installed, drivers must contend with a temporary four-way stop at the intersection. “The city has included this among its capital improvement projects,” Spruill said, “and we anticipate it will receive funding in this coming budget year.”

Then there’s the sad story of the light at Chestnut and Young streets. Seems the nearby utility pole that supports this light was “fractured” in a traffic accident. It needs to be replaced and when it is replaced, the light can be remounted and should function properly.

According to Spruill, the utility company has scheduled that pole to be replaced this week.

The light at Chestnut and Horner streets operates on a timer, so drivers are at its mercy – Spruill said this intersection doesn’t use road sensors to detect the presence or absence of vehicles.

 

CLICK PLAY!

 

TownTalk: Early Voting

/by

More than 300 Vance County residents have cast their ballots in the first two days of early voting in advance of the May 17 primary.

Early voting continues this week and next, with the final day being Saturday, May 14, according to information from the Vance County Board of Elections office.

A total of 195 votes were cast on Thursday, Apr. 28 – the first day of early voting. A total of 139 voters turned out Friday to the city’s Dr. Andrea L. Harris operations center, located at 900 Beckford Dr., Henderson.

There are about 17,000 registered voters in the county.

Not registered to vote yet? No problem. Bring appropriate documentation and a photo ID to the operations center during the voting hours for same-day registration.

Except for the last day of early voting, which is Saturday, May 14, the voting hours are Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

The Saturday voting hours are 8 a.m to 3 p.m.

 

CLICK PLAY!

 

Youth Tennis Clinic, Court Dedication At Fox Pond May 14

/by

Youth between the ages of 5 and 18 are invited to a free “skills and drills” tennis clinic on Saturday, May 14, 2022 at Fox Pond Park.

The Edmonds Tennis & Education Foundation will conduct the clinic from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at the Fox Pond tennis courts. No registration is required, but all participants must wear appropriate tennis shoes/sneakers.

The event will include a ceremony to dedicate a tennis court in honor of Henderson tennis standout Mary Lloyd Hodges Barbera, who died in 2015.

The Henderson City Council last year approved dedicating courts 1 and 2 in Barbera’s honor.

Barbera was a tennis phenom and was considered one of the state’s premier junior tennis players in the 1970’s and 1980’s. She was ranked #1 in the state in the girls’ 12-, 14- and 18-year-old divisions. She won two 4A state singles titles as a junior in 1981 and again in 1982 as a senior. She graduated from Vance Sr. High in 1983 and went on to Peace College, where, in 1984, she was named an All-American athlete by the National Junior College Athletic Association for Flight #1 in singles competition. She transferred to N.C. State University in 1985 and led the Wolfpack women’s tennis team with 16 wins in singles competition. She was inducted into the William Peace University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012.

SportsTalk: Vance Charter Lacrosse Prepares For State Playoffs

/by

Three years ago there was no varsity lacrosse team at Vance Charter. Their first season consisted of only four games and their second season was only eight games, but this year the Knights won the conference championship. It’s also been a bit of a family affair for the school. The lacrosse team is coached by Dennis Sandlin, his son, Dan Sandlin, is an assistant coach, and sophomore Gavyn Sandlin is one of the team’s leaders. “It’s nice to have it all in the family,” Dan Sandlin said on Thursday’s SportsTalk on WIZS at 12:30 p.m.

Team leaders Gavyn Sandlin and Ryan Parker have both scored over 100 points this season with Sandlin being number one in the entire state and Parker tied for second. “They wouldn’t be where they are if it weren’t for the rest of the team,” Dan Sandlin said. He credits much of the Knights’ success to players committing to off season leagues during the summer and winter months. The commitment has paid off this season and Dan Sandlin thinks the team in now peaking at the right time as they start the state playoffs on Tuesday.

Wednesday night the Knights finished off the regular season with non-conference opponent Seaforth High School, and the Knights won 16-11 and finished the regular season with a 13-6 record. According to Dan Sandlin, the victory was the team’s most complete game.

One of the keys to why the Knights have been so successful is the mindset the team has. “We are all in all the time,” Dan Sandlin says and that has caught on with the rest of the team. “I couldn’t be happier with where we are,” Sandlin added.

While things are moving in the right direction for the Knights, Sandlin would love to see growth for lacrosse in the area. It’s an expensive sport and coaches are hard to find but he still would like to see the growth come to more rural areas.

CLICK PLAY!

TownTalk: Pop Up Medical Clinic Coming To Henderson May 14 & 15

/by

The campus of Vance Charter School will be a beehive of activity in a couple of weekends when it hosts a pop-up clinic to provide free medical care to anyone in the community.

Yep, that’s right. Free medical care, ranging from general physical exams to dental and vision care. The clinic will see patients beginning at 6 a.m. on Saturday, May 14 and again at 6 a.m. on Sunday, May 15 at VCS, located at 2090 Ross Mill Rd.

Did we mention that it’s free? Patients who wish to get a tooth filled or get new glasses need only show up. Services are first come, first served, and two of the clinic organizers spoke with John C. Rose on Thursday’s Town Talk to provide details.

The pop-up clinics help people from falling through the cracks in the medical system. No id? No problem. No insurance? No worries. The parking lot will open at midnight on Friday, May 13. The process is as simple as showing up and waiting in line.

That’s the message from Duke seniors Rishabh Jain and Rishi Dasgupta, who have worked for months with a team of dozens of other volunteers to bring the Remote Area Medical (RAM) to the Vance County area.

“It’s been absolutely incredible to get the level of support in the community,” Jain said. Capt. Derrick Smith with the local Salvation Army was instrumental in connecting the clinic organizers with Dr. Brian Mathis at VCS, who offered the campus as the site for the clinic.

RAM, a major nonprofit provider based in Tennessee, has been hosting pop-up medical clinics across the Southeast for four decades; this clinic marks the seventh clinic that the Duke organizers will have visited since they first got involved with RAM.

Originally planned to be held in Durham, the organizers switched gears when they realized that there were underserved areas – especially in the area of vision and dental care – so close to Durham.

That’s when plans to host a clinic outside the Durham area took shape.

There will be numerous community organizations at the 2-day clinic to share resources and information. Patients may combine medical services with either vision or dental on one day, but they are not able to combine vision and dental, because of the high volume expected. Patients who need vision and dental care can return on the second day of the clinic.

Patients also will get an information sheet to help them access follow-up care if necessary and both organizers said they have identified health care professionals in the area who have agreed to do the follow-up care at a reduced fee or at no cost.

The clinic is completely staffed with highly qualified professionals who volunteer their services. The providers at the Henderson clinic are coming from across the country to participate.

Jain and Dasgupta expect to see hundreds of patients during the clinic, and Dasgupta said ithe stories of the patients that stick with him – people’s faces who are relieved of pain from an infected tooth or the delight of seeing clearly after being fitted with eyeglasses, Dasgupta said

his experiences have been rewarding and fulfilling.

Learn more about volunteering and sponsoring the clinic at www.ramusa.org or phone 865.579.1530.

Details on the Pop Up Medical Clinic coming to Henderson on May 14th and 15th.

Click Play!

 

Cooperative Extension with Jamon Glover: Managing Parenthood, Pt. 2

/by

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!

 

Supporters Of Ardagh Group Workers Rally Wednesday As Contract Negotiations Continue

/by

A group of about 50 people gathered outside the gates of the Ardagh Group plant on Facet Road Wednesday afternoon to show support for plant workers who are awaiting the result of contract negotiations underway between union and company officials.

Audrey Williams, recording secretary for Local 222M of the United Steel Workers (USW), spoke with WIZS News Wednesday afternoon and said the Henderson facility is among more than a dozen glass plants affected by the negotiations taking place in Pennsylvania.

Williams said there are 242 union members at the Henderson plant, and only six employees who are not union members.

“We are standing in solidarity,” Williams said. “If we don’t get a fair contract, we will stand in solidarity and strike.” The deadline is Friday evening, she added.

Alexander White, Jr. is vice president of the local 222M. He spoke with WIZS Wednesday and said details of specific demands are not being made public at this time, but union representatives are asking for a wage increase – “a fair contract,” White said. “We’re fighting for fair wages, we’re fighting for fair benefits…our holidays, our insurance,” White said.

Contract negotiations stalled recently and both parties agreed on a contract extension. That extension comes to an end on Friday, so both sides are attempting to renegotiate.

“It is a negotiation,” White said. “It’s not just demand, demand, demand. We are there to negotiate. And we hope they are there to negotiate, too.”

The rally of support was held from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. so shift workers could participate if they chose to do so. The plant is in operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, Williams said.

She estimated that of the 50 or so adults at the rally, only a small handful were not employees of the plant.

White said that the turnout should show company officials that “we are serious on our end, so they need to be serious on their end.”

Ardagh Group’s website describes the company as a global supplier of sustainable, value added, infinitely recyclable, metal and glass packaging for brand owners around the world. It operates 58 metal and glass production facilities in 12 countries and employs more than 17,000 people.

Among other items, it makes beverage cans, and containers for food, beers, wine and spirits.