Tag Archive for: #hendersonnews

Salvation Army

TownTalk: Salvation Army Power Couple Ready to Help Henderson

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With about five weeks at their new posts with the Henderson Salvation Army, Majors Jonathan and Staci Gainey say they know one thing for sure: They want to stay, set down roots and have a positive impact in the community.

“We’re looking forward to being here for a very long time,” Jonathan said on Wednesday’s TownTalk. “We have no intentions of leaving.”

The couple got their assignment from the Salvation Army’s divisional commander – they had no say in that. “But we can let the Salvation Army know that we have no interest in leaving – we plan on staying,” Jonathan said.

In these first few weeks, Staci said they’ve been learning the ropes and “figuring out where they can make the best impact in our community.”

One way is helping to stock the food pantry with shelf-stable items that are distributed to households in need. If your gardens are giving you more produce than you can use, consider dropping off veggies or other fresh items. The Salvation Army has a walk-in fridge and freezer for those things.

Jonathan, who hails from Jacksonville, FL, is the one who does the preaching, teaching and challenging and Staci is the person behind the organizing and administration of the various programs, projects and services that the Salvation Army is known for.

“Staci is very gifted in leadership and administration,” Jonathan said. “We work together but we know where our strengths are.”

As time goes on, Staci said she hopes to visit civic clubs and other organizations to develop relationships and connections as they share the news and mission with the community.

The office of the Salvation Army, located at 2292 Ross Mill Rd. in Henderson, is open Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will accept donations and requests for help during those office hours. The phone number is 252.438.7107.

The Salvation Army helps individuals with things like food, clothing, after-school care and more, but it’s also a church.

Amidst all the programs and social services aspects of the Salvation Army, Jonathan reminds the community that they’re also ordained pastors who want to nurture people’s spiritual side.

“We meet human needs in Christ’s name without discrimination,” he said.

They’re already planning for the upcoming holiday season and folks can expect to see the familiar red kettles when they’re out and about between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

They’ll be signing up volunteer bell ringers, too.

There’s plenty to do between now and then, and the Majors Gainey are already hard at work.

“We want to be a part of this community,” Staci said. “We want to know people and want for them to get to know us as well.”

Visit https://southernusa.salvationarmy.org/henderson-nc/ to learn more about how to help.

 

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TownTalk: Vance County Friday Night Football A Month Away

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The Vance County Vipers 2025-26 football season kicks off Friday, Aug. 22 with a 7 p.m. home game against non-conference opponent Warren County.

Head Coach Aaron Elliott and his staff are preparing for the upcoming season that puts them in a new conference, thanks to a huge realignment back in March by the N.C. High School Athletic Association. As part of the realignment plan, the NCHSAA expanded from 1A to 4A classification to an 8A classification. VCHS is in the 6A classification.

VCHS is one of six schools in the Northern Six conference, along with 6A Franklinton High School, and four 7A Wake County high schools: East Wake, Heritage, Knightdale and Wake Forest.

WIZS’s Scout Hughes discussed the upcoming season with SportsTalk regulars Doc Ayscue and George Hoyle on Tuesday’s TownTalk. The first game of the season is just one month away, and the trio chatted about this year’s team and the opportunities that lie ahead.

“I’m ready for some football,” Hoyle said, adding that he’s looking forward to the new season and getting off to a strong start in a new conference.

Ayscue said he’s interested in seeing new faces and new names on the field “and how they improve as year goes along – how you start and how you finish,” he said.

Hoyle said that although the team will miss some key contributors from last year, he is hopeful that the Vipers will hold their own in conference play.

The Wake County schools are newer schools, he said. “Hopefully, we’ll be right there with them,” he said of the Vipers’ competitiveness.

WIZS’s longtime game announcer Bill Harris phoned in with a question about how the lack of local teams on the schedule may affect attendance.

“With this schedule, there’s no Oxford Webb, no Louisburg, Bunn,” Harris said that would ordinarily draw local interest.

“Football is a sport that brings a lot of ‘gate,’” he said.

Indeed, J.F. Webb is not on the schedule, but the Vipers are set to play Granville County’s other high school, South Granville, in an away game on Aug. 29.

Ayscue said he hoped Webb would return to the schedule.

Both Granville County high schools are classified as 5A.

The non-conference teams included in this season’s lineup all made the playoffs last year, it was noted.

Hughes said, “Coach Elliott is trying to make them better, more prepared for the post-season” with the schedule that he’s built.

Last year’s regular-season game against Rocky Mount, for example, was a hard-fought battle that ended with a 23-22 W for the Vipers on the road.

Hughes’s prediction: Folks who follow Vance County football are going to be “very excited” about the prospects for this season.

 

 

Here’s the complete schedule for the Vance County Vipers football season:

Aug. 22 – Warren County (home)

Aug. 29 – South Granville (away)

Sept. 5 – Jordan (home – Military/First Responders Appreciation Night)

Sept. 12 – Rocky Mount (home – Homecoming)

Sept. 19 – Northeastern (away)

Oct. 3 – Wake Forest (away)

Oct. 10 – Knightdale (away)

Oct. 17 – Heritage (home – Breast Cancer Awareness Night)

Oct. 24 – East Wake (away)

Oct. 31 – Franklinton (home – Senior Night)

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Paws & Poses to Benefit Granville County Animals

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An upcoming yoga class planned for Saturday, July 26 at the Oxford Armory Farmers Market is shaping up to be like no other, and the event organizer said there will be some positively adorable pooches wandering among the yoga mats to perhaps meet their future owners.

Annie Drake, a rising senior at Vance Charter School, said ‘Paws and Poses’ is a service project to benefit the Granville County Animal Shelter.

The shelter staff will have numerous adoptable animals on the grounds from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. The yoga class will be from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. It’s going to be an interactive yoga session, and participants may find a wet nose or a wagging tail in their face as they stretch and transition from pose to pose.

“My hope was to get some animals adopted out,” Drake said.

“I’ve been wanting to do some sort of service project before I go off to college,” Annie said. “I enjoy being out in the community and helping people -I’ve never done something by myself, that’s all me and says who I am.”

She said she appreciates the help she got early on from her mom, Darcy. “Having her help was great,” she said.

The planning has gone pretty smoothly, but she admits that there are way more details than she thought there’d be. Dr. Bridget Waters of Dabney Drive Animal Hospital has been a big help, too. Annie said she’s been shadowing some of the staff at the local veterinarian’s office to learn more about animals.

Annie’s mom will be the instructor. Register for the class at www.yogaforgoodoxford.com

Even if you don’t sign up for the class, she’s set up a GoFundMe page. And all proceeds go to the Granville County Animal Shelter.

Shelter staff also will have a space to collect donations at the event. They are in need of dog toys and dog food, she said.

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Cooperative Extension with Michael Ellington: Fall Armyworms

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Michael Ellington, on the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report:

Today we introduce fall armyworms, the damage they do, and how to spot them. I’ve also included a few reminders for upcoming events.

Great Southeast Pollinator Census

www.gsepc.org

Heirs Property Gathering

go.ncsu.edu/vcheirsproperty

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: Tyler Fleming Ready For What Comes Next

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With freshman year of college under his belt, Tyler Fleming is setting his sights on what’s next for him as he begins to think about returning to Elon University for his sophomore year.

With thoughts of a career in journalism or communications, the Henderson native and 2024 Kerr-Vance Academy graduate has spent the summer with WIZS as an intern and he’s learning first-hand what it takes to run a radio station.

He sat down with WIZS’s Scout Hughes for Monday’s TownTalk segment, and he talked about some short-term and long-term goals.

“My dream job, ambition, goal,” he said, “is to be a motorsports broadcaster.” It’s something that’s always intrigued him, Tyler said, ever since he played with toy cars as a child.

Combine that with learning about cameras, recording audio and video and editing, and he’s got the makings for any number of jobs in the field of journalism or communications.

He’s gotten to work at a local speedway in Alamance County and looks forward to continuing that relationship and strengthening networks for when he’s out of school.

Tyler said he’s gotten to do some video work with the football team through a work-study program and he’s gotten to do some other work with the Elon News Network – “some air-to-tape and a little bit of camera work,” he explained.

Another program called Fresh TV has provided him a way to learn about cameras and other equipment in the studio, learn about the school and make some good friends. They even made a short film, he said.

These skills he’s honing are very transferrable across many aspects of the communications field if the motorsports plan doesn’t pan out.

In the meantime, he’s continuing to get experience at the local speedway, adding recordings of commentaries, interviews and post-race content for his portfolio. gathering recordings from

He’d love to do a Study USA program through Elon that would take him to Charlotte for a semester to learn about sport management and NASCAR.

“In the long run, I’d love to be at a network doing either NASCAR, Indy or even stuff in Europe,” Tyler said. Broadcasting from Daytona, Indianapolis or France’s 24-hour endurance race at Le Mans would be a dream come true.
“That’s the lofty goal for now, but one step at a time,” he said.

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Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Thinning Pines

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Wayne Rowland, on the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report:

Thinning pines at the correct time will increase the production of your remaining trees.

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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Vance County Logo

Final Candidate List For Henderson’s Oct. 7 Municipal Election

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The filing period for the Oct. 7 municipal elections ended at 12 noon today, Friday, July 18. Each of the four ward seats for Henderson City Council has multiple candidates seeking the position, according to information from Vance County Board of Elections Deputy Director Shelly Wood.

Here is the complete listing of candidates, in alphabetical order:

Henderson City Council Ward 1 at large:

Geraldine Champion

Sara M. Coffey (incumbent)

Kenia Gomez-Jimenez

Clementine “Tina” Hunter

Henderson City Council Ward 2 at large:

Benjamin Buckner

George L. Mayo

Lamont Noel (incumbent)

Henderson City Council Ward 3:

Garry Daeke (incumbent)

Clifford “Cliff” High

Jason A. Spriggs

Deryl “Ms. Dee” vonWilliams

Henderson City Council Ward 4:

Catherine “Kitty” Gill

Fred Robertson

Ola Thorpe-Cooper (incumbent)

Filings for the municipalities of Kittrell and Middleburg:

Kittrell mayor:

Gene Pulley

Kittrell town commissioner:

Mary Jo Floyd

Susan Pulley

Robert B. Tunstall

Middleburg mayor:

Ray Bullock

Middleburg town council:

Hazel A. Baskett

Shirley H. Bullock

Mamie Turner