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Kerr-Tar Family Caregiver Conference November 13

November 10, 2025/by Laura Gabel

People who provide care to family members or loved ones with chronic conditions like dementia can face relentless challenges, running the gamut from finances to time management.

On Thursday, Nov. 13, the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments, in partnership with Dementia Alliance, will offer resources and services to caregivers that may prove useful in overcoming some of the challenges that go along with caring for family members with long-term health issues.

The conference is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will be held at the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center, according to Michael Patterson, KTCOG family caregiver specialist. Registration is $10 for family caregivers and $25 for professional caregivers.

Professional caregivers can receive 1.5 continuing education credit. Register at www.dementianc.org/2025henderson. Patterson said walk-up registrations also will be taken the day of the conference.

“This is a great opportunity for our caregivers to receive resources, services and skills they need to support their caregiver journey,” Patterson said on Monday’s TownTalk.

The guest speakers include Michael Lewis, chief behavioral officer and senior financial advisor at Family Legacy Financial Solution, Dr. Delon Canterbury, a pharmacist consultant at GeriatRx, Inc. and Lisa Levine, executive director at Dementia Alliance.

Patterson said the half-day conference will give participants a chance to hear from experts that he said may be outside the traditional box of resources as they gain knowledge and make connections with local resources and services.

A caregiver’s main concern is on the safety, health and well-being of the care recipient, Patterson acknowledged, but finding support for that care provider is also very important, according to feedback he’s gotten as he networks throughout the KTCOG service area.

“Finances is a big challenge for our family caregivers,” Patterson said, so the session on financial resources is an important topic. The majority of those caregivers are providing that care for free – and it’s something that they may choose to do for their loved ones, but it can have an impact, he said, affecting personal and work lives.

Canterbury’s session will focus on how to be an advocate for loved ones when it comes to medications they are taking. The concept of “de-prescribing” focuses on reviewing medicines, understanding particular side effects and making sure a patient isn’t being over-prescribed.

The final session of the conference will turn to a lighter side of caregiving, highlighting the importance of self-care with a segment called Laughter Yoga.

Caregiving can be an emotional journey, Patterson said, and caregivers must balance, as best they can, caring for their loved one as they care for themselves.

It’s important to “bring joy to yourself and to those around you,” he said.

Once a family member has gotten a diagnosis of dementia or other long-term health condition, it’s also important to be proactive in setting up a process for care.

“The longer you wait, the more stressful it can be to try to find resources,” Patterson said.

To learn more, contact Patterson at 252.436.2040 ext. 6072 or by email at mpatterson@kerrtarcog.org

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WIZS Radio · TownTalk: Henderson Dementia Caregiver Conference coming up on Nov. 13

(Original post just above made Oct. 27, 2025)

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Who: Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments

What: Kerr-Tar Family Caregiver Conference

When: Thursday, November 13 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Where: Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center

Additional Details: Dementia Alliance of NC. Hear from Director of Dementia Alliance, Lisa Levine, and from Pharmacist Consultant, Dr. DeLon Canterbury. Learn practical skills for engaging and supporting those living with dementia, and how to care for yourself in the process. A Family Caregiver Ticket is $10 – For those caring for someone living with dementia, neighbors, friends, students, clergy and anyone else who would like to attend. Limited scholarships available. Professional Caregiver Tickets are $25. Breakfast and refreshments will be provided. To learn more about how to sign up, please reach out to Michael Patterson at (252) 436-2040 ext. 6072 or email mpatteron@kerrtarcog.org.

(Original post just above made Oct. 23, 2025)

State of Region – When Will Triangle Overflows Get to Vance

October 23, 2025/by Laura Gabel

Economists analyze data and then make projections about things that matter to individuals, governments and other organizations. They do research, make evaluations and help make sense of money, taxes and how much things cost.

N.C. State University professor emeritus Dr. Mike Walden shed some light on prospective growth in Vance County and surrounding areas on Wednesday during a ‘State of the Region’ event sponsored by the Kerr-Tar COG and the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce.

There were no big surprises or ‘aha’ moments in Walden’s remarks to those who’d gathered for the lunchtime program at Henderson Country Club, but Walden’s observations served to rekindle some enthusiasm about what’s possible when it comes to economic growth.

Vance and Warren counties have taken a backseat to Granville and Franklin counties as growth from the Triangle area overflows outside the Raleigh-Durham metro area.

“The counties that have lagged the most were Vance and Warren. Franklin and Granville look better.”

Walden pointed out that Vance County has all the things that attract economic growth – great people, the community college, proximity to the interstate, among others.

And yet, Vance and Warren counties are “one row back” from that inevitable growth – the first wave is hitting Granville and Franklin first, he said. It boils down to one simple, yet immutable thing: Geography.

Walden noted that Vance County is not part of Gov. Josh Stein’s new program to expand internet access, but Granville, Warren and Franklin counties are. He said if he were a Vance County leader, he’d definitely check into that and find out why.

Vance County lags behind the state in households with internet access, for example. About 64 percent of households in the county have high speed internet, compared to 91 percent for the state, he said.

Internet accessibility will continue to be important for businesses looking to locate in the area, but also for residential growth to accommodate employees who may be looking to work remotely.

“I think that there are some positives for you for the future,” Walden said. “The biggest thing that will improve the economic outlook for your future,” he said, is that Vance County is in the path of growth.

Let developers know that Vance County is re-energized, he said, and geared up to work with businesses interested in coming to this part of North Carolina.

Hopefully, the takeaway from his remarks, Walden said, is optimism.

“The growth is going to come,” he said.

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WIZS Radio · TownTalk: State of Region – When Will Triangle Overflows Get to Vance

TownTalk: The 2025 Kerr-Tar Housing Summit Sept. 11 At VGCC Civic Center

August 27, 2025/by Laura Gabel

The Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments is hosting a regional housing summit on Thursday, Sept. 11 to provide information about tacking challenges and working to resolve some of the barriers that exist in the realm of housing.

Desiree Brooks, Kerr-Tar’s Community & Economic Development manager, said the summit will begin at 8:30 a.m. at Vance-Granville Community College’s Civic Center and will conclude at 1 p.m. In addition to featured speakers offering a national and a regional perspective, the event includes a panel discussion and a work session to allow individuals to focus in on challenges specific to their counties.

“We’re really excited to launch this regional housing summit – it’s the very first time we’ve had the summit,” Brooks said on Wednesday’s segment of TownTalk. The event is free to attend, but registration is required.

“We recognize that every county has unique housing challenges,” Brooks said, but it’s important to start talking about housing because it is a crucial issue in economic development.

“We want to start talking about it so we can start working toward solutions.”

Keynote speaker is Chris Allen, the director of Events and Partnerships with Strong Towns, a national nonprofit media organization. Allen will bring a national perspective on the issue and will get down to the root causes of the housing crisis and identify some rational responses that communities can take to improve the situation, Brooks said.

Tyler Mulligan, a public law and government professor at the UNC School of Government will talk about his work helping local government in areas of economic development, affordable housing, public/private partnerships for development and revitalization efforts, she said.

Brooks said she’d love to see county and city managers, elected officials, housing advocates, community leaders at the summit, as well as developers, financial institution representatives – anyone with an interest in helping make a tough situation better.

“We recognize that there’s an issue and we look at what those top challenges are in economic development,” Brooks said. “Housing is huge – that is a huge issue in our region – and everywhere really.”

The summit is one way Kerr-Tar COG can gather stakeholders to have conversations, identify needs and work on solutions.

“We hope that everybody leaves motivated, and with tools that they feel like, ‘OK, we’re working toward solutions,” Brooks said.

“I know we can’t fix it, but we have to start somewhere.”

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WIZS Radio · TownTalk: The 2025 Kerr-Tar Regional Housing Summit Approaches

KTCOG Budget Process Looks Different This Year In Light Of Federal Funding Uncertainty

June 9, 2025/by WIZS Staff

It’s budget season, a time when cities and counties look at that tricky balance between revenues – money coming in – and expenditures – paying for services that residents need.

The Kerr-Tar Council of Government budget, however, relies mostly on federal money to fund its programs.

And KTCOG Executive Director Diane Cox said recent uncertainty with federal agencies reducing workforce and closing whole programs, this year’s budget process was different than in years past.

“I’ve always taken the conservative approach when it came to our budget,” Cox said in an interview with WIZS.

The 2025-26 budget represents a decrease of more than $2 million from the current year budget and does not include any salary or cost of living increases. Cox is proposing a roughly $5.8 million budget and is hopeful that additional federal funding will be available. The 2024-25 amended budget was just more than $8.3 million.

“Over 90 percent of our funding at COG comes through the state but they’re federal funds,” Cox explained.

“No one’s saying anything yet,” she said. “The state folks haven’t heard from that federal folks what those funds are going to look like.” So until then, Cox and the KTCOG staff wait.

“It’s sort of a wait and see position that we’re in,” she said. “We’re preparing for the worst but hoping for the best.”

One area that she’s particularly concerned about is the Area Agency on Aging, which relies on mostly federal funds. Cox said earlier Monday that she’s expecting to hear about the Area Agency on Aging grants sometime this week.

“This is the first year in the 14 or 15 years that I’ve been here that we’ve gone into the budget season without some initial numbers,” she said. For that reason, she said the budget is “very conservative” and included an across-the-board decrease.

The Area Agency on Aging programs provide services for the senior centers in all five counties, as well as their in-home aide programs, among others.

Since the pandemic, the KTCOG has provided assistance to many local governments in the region in some form or another.

Cox said while she and her staff wait for word on grant funding, KTCOG will continue to provide services and programs for the region – there’s a disaster recovery and relief expo on Thursday, June 12 at the VGCC Civic Center, which will provide information to community groups and individuals about how to cope in the event of a disaster.

“We have always had a much larger budget at the end of the year than we do at the beginning of the year” because the COG receives grant funding throughout the year.

So, while our budget may look much lower than what our current budget is, the hope (is) – and I pray – that there will be several budget amendments,” Cox said, allowing for the provision of more service.

“Very Conservative” KTCOG Budget Reflects Federal Funding Uncertainty

June 3, 2025/by WIZS Staff