Tag Archive for: #hendersonnews

Business Spotlight – City Auto

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When he was 16, Tony Lamancusa bought a Dodge Charger, and the first thing he did was make it better by taking off the intake and putting in a bigger one. Everything went according to plan. Intake, check, Carburetor, check. Spark plugs, rewiring, check.

But when he turned the key, nothing happened.

“Nobody ever told me anything about firing order,” Lamancusa said, recalling how it took several weeks for him to find someone to help him diagnose the problem and share that all-important firing order – six numbers that Lamancusa still remembers: 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2.

Details are so important when it comes to service and repair on vehicles, and that story is a reminder for Lamancusa as the owner of City Auto and Truck Stop on Andrews Avenue.

His engineering background, coupled with his passion for rebuilding muscle cars really comes in handy with the full-service center.

From the routine stuff like inspections, oil changes, brakes, tires and belts to engine and transmission work, Lamancusa said he and his employees can handle it. They also work on boat trailers, semi trailers, RV’s, go-carts and forklifts.

Lamancusa said he values customers’ time and he strives to take care of their vehicles while they wait. “We try to get people in and out as quickly as we can,” he said.

And, he’s hiring.  Apply in person.

Stop by the shop to talk with Lamancusa to find out about the wide array of services they offer. He said he’s got very competitive prices – if you’ve got the parts and simply need them installed, that’s fine, you’ll just be charged for labor. They specialize in most American made cars, he said, stressing that they’re not an import shop.

“We run a clean shop and we honor what we do,” he said.

Call City Auto and Tire at 252.492.1195. Online at cityautoandtruckcenter.com

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Recently, City Auto and Truck became a Penske dealer, so customers can reserve and pay online and then come pick up the truck.

As a business owner, Lamancusa likens himself to an orchestra conductor: being at the front desk, he interacts with the public, handles the phones and now Penske customers. “I’m the conduit that everything flows through,” he said.

His background in electrical engineering is a perfect complement to the hands-on work that comes with running a shop like City Auto.

“Working with my hands, and my (engineering) knowledge, putting machines together – the two go well together,” he said.

 

Cooperative Extension With Jamon Glover: Communication, Part 3

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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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Home And Garden Show; Farmers Market Opens Soon

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— On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Extension

On your mark, get set…Go! To the Vance County Regional Farmers Market, which opens on Saturday, Apr. 20.

Market Manager Pat Ayscue and Cooperative Extension Director Wykia Macon welcomesthe public to the 2024 season at the market, where local vendors will share fruits, vegetables, meats and much more throughout the growing season.

Ayscue manages the Vance County market, but she knows only too well all the work that goes in to making sure that quality products are available at the market each week.

Not only did Ayscue grow up in a farming family, but she married into a farming family.
“You look at the produce in a whole different light when you have planted and harvested it (too),” Ayscue said.

There’s a new sign out front that Ayscue said should go a long way to remind passersby of the schedule and hours of operation, which continue to be Saturdays beginning April 20 and then adding Wednesdays beginning June 5.

The Spring Fling will be held Saturday, May 4 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and there are sure to be plenty of unique Mother’s Day gifts available for purchase to go along with the produce and baked goods that fill the market each week.

One popular crop that should be available on opening day is the strawberry crop. This year’s forecast is good, Ayscue said, noting that growing conditions have created slightly smaller vines, which may mean the plants will use extra energy to put into juicier, bigger berries.

The farmers market always has room for more vendors, and Ayscue encourages anyone interested to come out and talk to her to learn details.

She also creates an email list each season to share information about what’s new at the market as well as recipes to create with all the fresh produce that’s available.

And market vendors also accept senior vouchers and EBT.

Ayscue said she looks forward to welcoming returning vendors – and new vendors – to this year’s market “family,” and said the 2024 market will have something for everyone.

Visit https://vance.ces.ncsu.edu/vance-county-regional-farmers-market/ to learn more.

 

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SportsTalk: Yount Battles Rain And Injuries With Vance Charter Soccer

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Weather has certainly been a problem for local sports teams. Johnny Yount,  girls soccer coach at Vance Charter, is no exception. “The entire field has been unplayable for much of the season,” Yount said on Wednesday’s SportsTalk.  “There’s not a lot we can do about it,” he continued.  Vance charter has cancelled two games due to rain. They should have played seven games but so far have only managed to get five soccer matches in.  Missed games are difficult to make up. So far though, Vance charter is 2-3 overall and 2-2 in the conference. He says the team is young with four seniors, four juniors, seven sophomores and three freshmen. They’ve had to make a lot of changes this season as well due to injuries. Yount said it does create opportunities and he continues to ask the team to challenge themselves on the field. Yount added that “what I want is winning student athletes versus winning records.” Additionally, Yount says the team is still finding its chemistry, though and he wants them to have fun and engage.

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SportsTalk: KVA Finds WIns On The Baseball Field

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Practices cancelled and losing games from the schedule are just a couple of the problems that Mike Joyner, Athletic Director at Kerr-Vance Academy, has faced this season. It’s been a challenging year for Joyner and KVA with all of the rain that has happened this spring. “Seven of the first 10 games were rained out,” Joyner said. But it’s not just the rain and it’s not just the missed practices, “it’s juggling the schedule to find officials,” Joyner said on Wednesday’s SportsTalk.  Despite the rain and despite all of the events that have been cancelled this season, KVA finds itself at 5-1 in baseball.  They lost their first game but now have been on A five  game winning streak. Recently KVA’s baseball team took a trip to see Rutgers take on UNC in Chapel Hill, which Joyner described as a great trip for the team.  As for his girls soccer team, he says the team is young and inexperienced and although the team is winless so far this season, he hopes that further games will help them find a few victories as the year continues. KVA is on spring break next week but will return to action in April.

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TownTalk: Communications Tower To Benefit Emergency Responders

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A new communications tower could be in place in another year or so to provide increased coverage – and reliability – for Henderson and Vance County law enforcement agencies and first responders.

It’s been communication of a slightly different sort that has gotten the project this far; city and county leaders had been looking for funding sources to offset the cost of the tower construction and Congressman Don Davis helped secure a $2.175 million grant to fund the project.

The matching grant requires a 25 percent match from the city and the county, but that’s a far cry from the total cost of the project.

This translates into good news for Henderson Fire Chief Tim Twisdale and Police Chief Marcus Barrow, both of whom are optimistic that their officers and the community will benefit from the new tower. Barrow and Twisdale were guests on Wednesday’s TownTalk and talked about the many benefits the tower will provide.

“This should help our coverage within (certain) buildings…and enhance the overall safety for all of our responders,” Twisdale said.

Police officers often respond to fires and assist with traffic control, for example, and fire trucks turn up for things like vehicle accidents, so it’s important for both agencies to have reliable, effective tools to communicate.

The current signal “simply wouldn’t transmit” in certain places, including some buildings. “That made communication a bit of a challenge from the inside to the outside,” he explained. Firefighters have had to resort to “line of sight” communication, which is not ideal.

As Barrow explained, his department joined the State Highway Patrol’s VIPER system in the mid-2000’s, largely because there was a post 9-11 push for increased inter-agency communication.

But, he said, VIPER was designed for and by the Highway Patrol, who don’t usually find themselves inside buildings like firefighters and police officers.

Add to that challenge that Henderson falls into a no-man’s land of sorts – on the outer fringes of coverage from other towers – and communication equipment just doesn’t always perform like it should.

“Putting this in Henderson, or in the outskirts of Henderson, will be great for us,” Barrow said.

Right now, the site is near the North Henderson ballfields and the tower will provide roughly a 100-mile radius. Assistant City Manager Paylor Spruill told WIZS News via email that the funding is not expected until the first quarter of 2025, at which time the design and construction would begin.  “The grant is funding 75 percent of the estimated cost,” Spruill said, adding that “the city is proposing to provide the tower site, with the County providing the remaining funds.”

“We want to be able to pick up our equipment, mash a button and it work,” Barrow said, adding that no first responder, law enforcement officer or member of the community deserves any less.

“We don’t have time for it not to work,” he said.

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Maria Parham CEO Bert Beard Speaker For Chamber’s “State Of Health Care” April 23

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The Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce is hosting the first “state of” session for 2024 on Tuesday, April 23 to discuss local health care.

Guest speaker for the lunchtime event is Bert Beard, CEO of Maria Parham Health.

The lunch and learn will begin at 12 noon at Southern Charm Event Center, 200 S. Garnett St.

Beard will share updates on a variety of health care topics and is scheduled to discuss what’s happening locally as well as at the state level with Medicaid expansion and access to health care, among other topics.

Tickets for the lunch and learn session are $30; purchase a table for 8 for $240.

Call the Chamber office at 252.438.8414 to learn more or email Tanya Wilson at tanya@hendersonvance.org to reserve your seat by Thursday, April 18.

TownTalk: Kittrell Job Corps Hosting Opportunity Fair

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The Kittrell Job Corps is sponsoring an “Opportunity Fair” for its students and the wider community – it’s part information to learn more about the Job Corps, part sharing information about community partners and part job fair – a variety of business and industry reps will be on hand to talk with prospective employees.

Vernell Milon and Norman Turner were guests on Tuesday’s TownTalk segment and provided details about the event, which will take place Thursday, Mar. 28 on the Job Corps campus, located at 1096 U.S. 1, Kittrell.

Students currently enrolled in the Job Corps will get a chance to visit with the 28 vendors that are scheduled to be on site from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and then the event will be opened up to the public from 12 noon to 2 p.m.

Center Director Norman Turner has been with Job Corps for 17 years and said the Kittrell location is one of four located in North Carolina. There are 125 locations across the country, Turner noted.

The Job Corps provides education and training for young adults 16-24. Turner said most students complete the program in less than a year, but students can be enrolled up to two years.

“We want to help them recognize opportunities,” Turner said, for jobs, education and building a better life.

As outreach admissions/career transition services director, Milon is always looking for ways to connect students to the programs offered through the Job Corps. The Kittrell location can serve 350 students, but currently have 250 enrolled, “so we’re seeking 100,” she said.

“It’s an honor coming to work every day,” Milon said. “If I can save one person a day, I’ve done my job.”

Turner agreed. “Our jobs are very fulfilling,” he said. “All (students) need is an opportunity to show you what they’re capable of.”

Students can live on campus, but there’s an option to come and go daily while still living at home. Transportation is provided for those who choose this option.

“We are in the best location we can be in,” Turner said. Being along U.S. 1 allows students, staff, community partners and others to get to the location easily. “We’re in a great location.”

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