Tag Archive for: #thelocalskinny

The Local Skinny! GRACE Ministries Prepares Big Thanksgiving Meal

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Bobby West said Saturday’s early Thanksgiving meal that GRACE Ministries and volunteers will be dishing up for the community is a way to feed people and nourish souls.

It will take “an army of volunteers,” West said, to prepare 2,000 plates at the 215 Crozier St. location, as well as deliver them to seven other sites across the county.

There will be pork loin and gravy, with all the trimmings, West said on Thursday’s segment of The Local Skinny! But those plates also come with a “side” of prayer, he added.

“Our goal is to pray with every meal delivered,” West said, whether those meals are getting picked up and delivered to shut-ins or just enjoyed by families who need a hot meal. “Prayer is shared with every plate,” he added.

“The most important thing is prayer,” West said, adding that it’s that prayer component the nourishes peoples’ souls. But he’s done this before, so he also knows that “the biggest thing is getting all that food ready” to be picked up by 11 a.m.

In addition to the GRACE Ministries location, plates will be available for pickup at the following locations:

  • West End Baptist Church, 619 Dabney Dr.
  • Room at the Cross, 235 Booth Ave.
  • Norlina Baptist Church, 402 Divison St., Norlina
  • Raleigh Road Baptist Church, 3892 Raleigh Rd.
  • Old Aycock gym, 2663 Vicksboro Rd.
  • Corner of Andrews Avenue and Water Street, near the standpipe
  • Grace Baptist Church, 1820 S. Clearview Dr.

The team of volunteers will fill 1,600 plates in about two hours’ time. “We couldn’t do it without the prayers and support” from across the community, he said. “We’ll get eight lines of people packing plates – it goes fast, too,” he added.

Working alongside other volunteers, whether old friends or new acquaintances, creates a humbling atmosphere for West and others at GRACE Ministries.

“You’re humbled and thankful that you can be a part of helping others,” he said. “We want to serve God any way we can.”

 

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Home And Garden Show

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

  • Vance County Regional Farmers Market is open on Saturdays 8am-1pm.
  • The Vance and Warren County Beekeepers Association will meet on December 9th, at 7pm at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.
  • Take your soil samples to the Vance County Cooperative Extension. Do it as soon as possible.
  • You need to have your frost protection measures ready.
  • Now is a good time to take a photo of what is in your garden now. It will be a good guide of how to rotate your different vegetables in your garden in the 2025 growing season.
  • Remember to use personal protective equipment when doing chores in the fall. Eye and ear protection. Even sunscreen. Use a good pair of gloves.
  • Leaf collection season is upon us. Compost your leaves. Don’t burn them.

The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is located at 210 Southpark Dr., Henderson, NC 27536

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Perry Memorial Library

The Local Skinny! Events At Perry Memorial Library

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So far, Youth Services Librarian Melody Peters has resisted the urge to get the library festooned in red and green for that big December holiday – she said she wants Thanksgiving and Native Peoples Month to have their moments to shine, too.

In fact, next Tuesday afternoon’s activity will feature a story celebrating Native Peoples Month. Participants will surely enjoy the associated craft activity – making “corn” using pipe cleaners and beads.

Once Thanksgiving has come and gone, the library will surely shift its attention to December when thoughts turn to snowflakes and gingerbread men and Christmas decorations.

Peters invites folks of all ages to come out on the first official day of winter to the library’s “Winter Celebration” on Saturday, Dec. 21. Activities will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and include make-and-take crafts for all ages, from kiddos and teens to adults.

And bring your photo-taking device to snap some family selfies in front of a beautiful holiday backdrop, she said.

There are plenty of activities before Dec. 21 to enjoy, too, Peters said on Tuesday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

For starters, there’s Pajama Story Time on Tuesday, Dec. 3 from 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Then on Tuesday, Dec. 10 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., bring the family to watch the film Polar Express while sipping hot chocolate and nibbling sweet treats.

Youngsters will enjoy hunting for hidden gingerbread people cookies around the library. No, they’re not edible – these are made of felt – but Peters said the children enjoyed looking for them hidden throughout the library.

Sometimes, you’ll find Peters or other library staff out in the community, too.

Visit the Vance County Regional Farmers Market on Saturday, Dec. 7 between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. for a special Market Story Time, which may include decorating some gingerbread cookies that ARE edible, Peters said.

And then later that afternoon, the library will have a float commemorating its 100 year-anniversary in the Henderson Christmas Parade, which begins at 3 p.m.

Visit https://www.perrylibrary.org/ to learn about all the programs and services the library offers.

 

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Cooperative Extension With Michael Ellington: Agriculture Is Changing

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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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The Local Skinny! N.C. House District 32 Contest

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Incumbent N.C. Rep. Frank Sossamon has until noon tomorrow – Tuesday, Nov. 19 – to put the wheels in motion to call for a recount in the contest to retain his District 32 seat.

Both Vance and Granville’s boards of elections completed the canvass on Friday, Nov. 15 to certify results of the Nov. 5 general election, including the District 32 race, in which challenger Bryan Cohn holds a 233-vote lead over the incumbent Sossamon.

The N.C. State Board of Elections website lists vote totals as 21,213 for Cohn, a Democrat, and 20,980 for the Republican Sossamon. Cohn won handily in Vance County, taking 60.55 percent of the vote to Sossamon’s 37.26 percent; Sossamon won among Granville County voters by a 52.67 percent to 44.53 percent margin.

State law states that a recount can occur in non-statewide contests where the margin of victory is 1 percent or less of total votes cast. The 233-vote margin is .53 of 1 percent of the total vote.

“In contests under the jurisdiction of the State Board of Elections (including General Assembly seats in which the district lies in more than one county), the recount demand must be in writing and received by the State Board of Elections no later than noon on Tuesday, Nov. 19,” according to the state board of elections website.

There has been no indication about whether Sossamon will make a recount request.

The District 32 race is one of two key contests yet to be decided – the other is District 25 in Nash County – which will determine whether Republican keep their supermajority in the N.C. House.

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VGCC Logo

The Local Skinny! Workforce and Continuing Education Open House at VGCC

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Vance-Granville Community College is hosting a Workforce and Continuing Education Open House at the Henderson campus on Saturday, Nov. 16.

School representatives will be on hand from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. to help prospective students learn more about the programs available across the four campuses.

Whether pursuing opportunities after high school or looking for a career change, VGCC may have just what you’re looking for.

According to the VGCC website, Continuing Education classes are designed for adults looking to enhance their job skills, update their knowledge or pursue personal interests.

Learn about the diverse program that VGCC offers, including Commercial Driver’s License, Healthcare, Public Safety, Welding and Business, just to name a few. Faculty members will be on hand to share additional program information and participants can attend break-out sessions about specific fields and certifications they may be interested in pursuing.

And to top it all off, you can get help with registration, financial aid and setting up your student account – all on the same day.

The Open House will be held in Building 7 at the Main Campus, located at 200 Community College Rd., Henderson.

Visit www.vgcc.edu and click on Latest News and Upcoming Events tabs to learn more.

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The Local Skinny! Henderson Police Department To Participate In CALEA Assessment

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– Press release from Henderson Police Dept. Capt. Chris Ball

The Henderson Police Department will have a site-based assessment in early December as part of the reaccreditation process with the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. The local police department has held accredited status since 2002.

The evaluation will take place Dec. 9-12, during which time a team of assessors will evaluate the department for adherence to national standards and will identify best practices related to life, health and safety procedures, according to information from Capt. Chris Ball of the Henderson Police Department.

There are 462 specific professional standards the department must comply with to achieve and maintain accreditation status. Reaccreditation is a thorough and demanding process, and successful completion demonstrates that policies, practices and procedures align with the highest levels of law enforcement professionalism.

Accreditation follows a four-year cycle, during which police departments like the HPD must maintain electronic records to prove compliance. The records are reviewed remotely each year, culminating in a site-based assessment in the fourth year.

As part of the process, the public is invited to submit feedback via the CALEA portal at http://cimrs2.calea.org/481.

The purpose of this public portal is to receive comments regarding an agency’s compliance with CALEA standards, engagement in the service community, delivery of public safety services and overall candidacy for accredited status. These comments can be in the form of commendations or concerns. The overall intent of the accreditation process is to provide the participating agency with information to support continuous improvement, as well as fostering the pursuit of professional excellence.

It is important to know that CALEA is not an investigatory body, and subsequently, the public portal should not be used to submit information for such purposes. Additionally, there will be no response other than acknowledgement to submissions; however, the information will be considered in context to its relevancy to compliance with standards and the tenets of CALEA® Accreditation.

Standard titles may be viewed on the CALEA website: https://www.calea.org/node/11406. The Henderson Police Department participates in the advanced level of accreditation. Questions related to the accreditation process may be directed to the Accreditation Manager at bstrother@hendersonpd.nc.gov.

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The Local Skinny! Henderson City Council Takes $275K Loan To Purchase Embassy Block Property

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The Henderson City Council approved Tuesday taking a $275,000 loan to purchase property in the Embassy Block area of downtown to create extra parking and a “pocket” park.

Benchmark Community Bank will provide the five-year amortized loan. The council approved the purchase of the Embassy Block in the 2024-25 budget that was adopted in June 2024.

According to City Manager Terrell Blackmon, the property that the city will purchase is bounded by Young and Montgomery streets. It doesn’t include the part of the property that faces Garnett Street. It is where Falkner Building Supply was located, and is currently part of the McGregor Hall holdings.

The council also approved paying bilingual city employees up to $2,000 extra a year for language services they provide for city business transactions with customers whose first language is not English.

Blackmon told council members that the police department has five employees who fit the bill and there are several other city employees who currently help out when needed. At most, Blackmon estimated that it could mean an extra $20,000 in the budget. The languages needed most are Spanish, Arabic and American Sign Language, he noted.

Employees would have to demonstrate their proficiency by passing an exam; details were not provided about the type of exam that would be involved.

Information in the agenda packet stated that the “objective of the incentive is to establish and strengthen relationships with other communities where English is a second language and to provide language assistance  services on a consistent basis. Additionally, the incentive will be a source for future talent for various positions and retention of multilingual staff.”

The water fountain installation at Garnett and Charles streets will be named in honor of former mayor Eddie Ellington. Ellington was the 39th mayor of Henderson and served two terms from 2015-2023.

Blackmon said the city had fielded several calls from members of the community to request that Ellington be honored in some way. He said the city’s Public Works department will create a sign that will be placed at the water fountain with Ellington’s name on it.

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Home And Garden Show

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

  • Vance County Regional Farmers Market is open on Saturdays 8am-1pm. 
  • The Handcrafted Holiday Market is coming up at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market. Saturday, November 16th from 8am-2pm. 
  • Take your soil samples to the Vance County Cooperative Extension. Do it as soon as possible. 
  • You need to have your frost protection measures ready. 
  • Go through your cleanup orchard. Clean up those leaves and limbs. 
  • Remember to use personal protective equipment when doing chores in the fall. Eye and ear protection. Even sunscreen. Use a good pair of gloves. 
  • Leaf collection season is upon us. Compost your leaves. Don’t burn them. 
  • Winterize any of your sprayers. Garden hose and other sprayers that have water in them. Let the water out so that it will not freeze and damage that equipment. 

The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is located at 210 Southpark Dr., Henderson, NC 27536 

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The Local Skinny! Vance County Jail Update

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Six months into his new job, Maj. Johnny Hawkins provided an update to Vance County commissioners at their Nov. 4 meeting about the staff, programs and physical plant of the county’s detention center.

Hawkins began working at the jail in April, and retired with 30 years of service with the N.C. Department of Adult Corrections – two of those years were spent as chief of the Durham County Detention Center.

Hawkins said, “Some of the things that I want us to accomplish with this conversation tonight is the desire to rebrand the image of the Vance County Detention Center and the professionals that work there.”

On a daily basis, the jail exceeds its capacity of inmates and employs just half – 41 out of 82 – of the positions available.

He spoke of the seven percent pay increase and thanked the commissioners and said, “but we must do more.” He cited the example that two staff members were on night watch the evening of the meeting and said in reality two people were overseeing 190 inmates – 37 of whom are in jail on murder charges.

“I have done enough research to understand that the elephant in the room is certainly,” Hawkins said, “the desire and the need for a new detention center.”

Gradual improvements he has seen at the existing jail don’t change the fact that the facility faces continued staff shortages and outdated equipment – not to mention difficulty getting the outside vendors to complete services because they fear for their safety, he said.

And while a decent chunk of this information has been fairly well documented, what’s new in the story is the presentation Hawkins made about both improvements and desired improvements in the form of equipment, systems, policies and use of a comprehensive approach to how the jail functions.

“We’re trying to upgrade our security profile and systems … the geo management system or the round tracking system. What that does is allow us to be more efficient at our obligations with our two rounds every hour,” Hawkins said.

In addition, upgrades to surveillance and the access control system are needed to cut down on contraband and upgrades need to be made to fire and exhaust systems. Then there’s the perimeter security system and the data management system, the latter of which Hawkins said “will help us with training, help us develop policies, help us with personnel oversight and information so that we can have better processes in place so that we can effectively manage not only our personnel, our resources, but also update our policy so that staff can have direct access.”

Hawkins is looking at having a social worker, a peer support specialist, an additional maintenance technician, religious services program, vocational training – and a classroom space to hold the religious and vocational meetings.  And psychological services and community engagement programs may be on the horizon.

He thanked the commissioners again and asked them to do more.  The implication being that to rebrand it was going to require more.

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