Tag Archive for: #towntalk

TownTalk: National Police Week

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As part of last week’s observance of National Police Week, U.S. Attorney Michael Easley joined U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and others across the country as they paid tribute to all members of law enforcement for their service within the ranks of federal, state, local and Tribal law enforcement.

“As our country recognizes National Police Week, the Justice Department joins families and communities in remembering the members of the law enforcement community who made the ultimate sacrifice protecting the public,” said Garland in a press statement issued from Easley’s office.

“Policing is difficult and dangerous, yet time and time again, law enforcement officers answer the call, showing up for their communities when they are needed the most,” he continued. “Their devotion to duty is matched only by that of their loved ones who make daily sacrifices to support them.  The Justice Department is committed to doing everything in our power to help provide our law enforcement partners with the resources they need to carry out their noble work on behalf of the public.”

“Every day across North Carolina, law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to protect our communities,” said Easley, who serves the Eastern District. “During National Police Week, we honor their courage and sacrifice. Because of you, Americans can live their lives driven by our highest hopes, dreams and aspirations – and not our greatest fears.  It is also critical to recognize our officers’ families, who support their loved one’s calling to build a safer community.  We owe you all a debt of gratitude.”

In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.

Each year, during National Police Week, our nation celebrates the contributions of law enforcement from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty, and commitment to keeping our communities safe.

On Monday, May 13, the names of more than 280 officers killed in the line of duty in 2024 who have been added to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial were read during a Candlelight Vigil. To view a recording of the livestream of this event, visit https://nleomf.org/memorial/programs/national-police-week-2024/candlelight-vigil/.

To learn more about National Police Week and the virtual candlelight vigil, please visit www.policeweek.org.

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TownTalk: Blessed Trinity Holds Week-Long Revival

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Blessed Trinity Ministries, under the leadership of the Rev. Dr. Almice Floyd Gill, is hosting a five-day Community Outdoor Revival at Back to Eden, located at 475 Satterwhite Point Rd.

The revival kicks off at 6 p.m. on Monday, May 27 and continues nightly through Friday, May 31.

Gill calls it an “old-fashioned” revival that promises to be inspirational to those who attend in person. And thanks to technology, folks who can’t make it in person can still tune in using a variety of platforms. She’d love to see people from Vance County, as well as surrounding counties, take part in the revival – whether in person or attending remotely.

The theme of the revival is “God’s love, God’s power, God’s purpose, God’s plan,” and Gill said she said the various preachers will be bringing a message of hope.

“We serve a God of hope,” she said on Monday’s TownTalk. With so many people facing challenges these days, Gill wants people to come out – “they will be strengthened by the word of God,” she said.

Gill will preach on Monday, and there will be a different speaker each evening. Others scheduled to speak include:

Tuesday – Evangelist Geraldine Hargrove, associate minister at Brookston Missionary Baptist Church

Wednesday – the Rev. Seaman Rice, New Covenant Faith Ministries

Thursday – the Rev. Dr. Jeanette Floyd, pastor at Dickie’s Grove Missionary Baptist Church

Friday – Bishop Luther K. Brooks, Solid Rock International Ministries

Find Blessed Trinity Ministries on Facebook or join via conference call to listen to the revival each evening. Simply call 605.475.4700 and use Passcode 751573 to connect.

Anyone wishing to make a donation is welcome to do so, she said, adding that there are numerous ways to give: bring cash, check, cashier’s check or money order to the revival or mail to: Blessed Trinity Ministries. P.O. Box 3241 Henderson, NC 27536

Pay online as well using Gill’s number 252.438.0397 and Zelle, Apply Pay or Cash App to $meeciefg.

The proceeds will be used to defray the costs of the revival, including the venue and the guest speakers.

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TownTalk: The Future of McGregor Hall

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In six short years, Henderson’s McGregor Hall has earned a reputation across the area – and region – as a quality venue for hosting concerts, performances and competitions.

Executive Director Mark Hopper booked perhaps the venue’s most important act last month, however, when the Henderson City Council held its April meeting inside the facility for a one-man show: Hopper took center stage seeking financial support for the 1,000-seat theatre.

Hopper asked the Council for $75,000; County Manager C. Renee Perry told WIZS News that the county received a request for $60,000.

The recommended 2024-25 budget presented Monday to the City Council does not have a line item to support McGregor Hall; Perry told WIZS News that there is nothing in the county budget at present either.

The county commissioners are expected to receive the 2024-25 recommended budget on Tuesday, May 28.

Municipal and county budgets are supposed to be adopted by July 1, which is the start of the new fiscal year, and time is of the essence for McGregor Hall.

“What we need is help with our debt service,” Hopper told the City Council in April. “We will not survive 2025 without support.”

In his April presentation to City Council, Hopper said the venue, although doing very well at the box office, is drowning in mortgage debt. One quarter of the total revenue goes to service the mortgage.

Hopper is the lone full-time employee, and he works alongside five part-time employees and several hundred volunteers.

McGregor Hall is under the governance of the nonprofit Embassy Cultural Center Foundation and is propped up with solid local partnerships, dedicated individuals and business sponsors.

WIZS previously reported on the recent economic impact study that showed McGregor Hall has contributed $9.2 million to the local economy over the past four years – $5.1 in lodging bookings alone. The county benefits from motel/hotel tax revenues; the city and county benefit from taxes generated from the more than 30,000 guests to its rental events, namely in the form of 15 weekends of spring dance competitions.

Hopper said that every single dollar of investment to McGregor Hall brings a return of $31 to the community.

About 40 percent of revenues come from ticket sales, which Hopper said is in keeping with the industry standard. Grant funding, rental fees and concessions each kick in 10 percent and 20 percent from local business sponsors.

It would mean a lot for local government leaders to put a price tag on what it means to have a top-notch venue in Henderson and Vance County that draws patrons from the Triangle to southside Virginia – both to watch performances as well as to be on stage for shows.

Hopper said McGregor Hall is helping to change the perception of Henderson and Vance County, one performance at the time.

TownTalk: City of Henderson Budget Prelim

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Henderson City Council member Garry Daeke has had a couple of days to review and reflect on the 2024-25 budget that was presented Monday by City Manager Terrell Blackmon.

It’s a delicate balance, Daeke said, to create a budget that provides for citizens’ wants and needs – without putting those same citizens in a bind by raising taxes, fees and more.

“I do enjoy the challenge of taking a budget and looking at all the different pieces,” Daeke said on Wednesday’s TownTalk. The cost of those services versus the tax rate is always a balancing act, and it’s one that Council members will begin discussing at a work session on Monday, May 20.

Blackmon’s presentation included details of a $25 million General Fund budget, and a total budget figure of somewhere around $45 million. The 158-page document can be found on the city’s webpage at henderson.nc.gov, under the Departments heading, click on Finance to go directly to the dropdown box where the document is located.  (Or click here as of 5-15-24.)

“The city’s growing,” Daeke said. “We have so many things we’d like to do.” But how to fund those things is what the budget discussion will be about.

Added to the mix is the recent revaluation of properties in the county, which will generate additional revenue for the city in the form of property tax.

A 45-cent per $100 of value would generate the same amount of tax revenue as this year, Daeke said. “We need some increase, I think. I do not think it needs to be 10 cents.”

A 55-cent per $100 value would generate between $4 and 4.5 million, he calculated, and a 65-cent per $100 value would bring in $7 million. He said, however, that he would not vote for a 55-cent tax rate unless he was thoroughly convinced otherwise during the course of the upcoming budget discussions. If the city were to keep the current tax rate of 75 cents per $100, it would generate roughly $10 million.

Generally speaking, overall property values in the city increased about 63 percent since the last revaluation in 2016. That means many property owners will have to pay higher tax bills, maybe a couple of hundred extra dollars, in the city, Daeke noted.

And that, coupled with higher monthly bills like water and sewer, could pose problems for folks who may be struggling to make ends meet as it is. “We have to be cognizant of what people can afford.”

Landlords most likely would have to increase rents to help absorb those rising costs, Daeke said. “It could be a phenomenal amount in a year’s time for people who are struggling to pay their bills.”

Another funding stream comes from sales tax collection, which continues to be strong in the city. “We’ve done well in terms of people staying home and spending money,” he said.

The budget also calls for moving $4 million from the fund balance to offset non-recurring federal ARPA funds. Daeke said there’s “extra” money available because of having unfilled positions within the city.

Once those positions are filled, however, that “extra” money will not be available.

Some of the other items on the expenditure side of the ledger in the future include a new fire station, completion of the park on William Street and housing redevelopment.

“We’ve taken down 300 homes – we need to start putting stuff back,” Daeke said. “That can’t be done without some funding.”

A major contributor to the sales tax coffers is McGregor Hall. Economic impact studies show that the entertainment venue draws people from across the region to see concerts, performances and participate in dance competitions, just to name a few.

Daeke said he would like to see more support for McGregor Hall from local government.

“I believe it’s time to help them stay in business,” he said, noting that there is nothing in the recommended budget at present.

One idea that’s floating around is to purchase the property on which the former Falkner Building Supply once stood. It’s part of the original McGregor family bequest, Daeke said, so McGregor Hall owns it.

“We’d love to purchase that and put a parking area and other businesses there” to create a cash flow for McGregor Hall and to contribute to the economic vitality to the downtown area.

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H-V Chamber Student Leadership Vance Graduation 2024

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The 15 members of the 2023-24 Student Leadership Vance program finished up earlier this month with a graduation ceremony. And although that May 1 graduation marked the completion of the program, Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce President Sandra Wilkerson said she believes it’s just the beginning for these high school students who have a deeper appreciation for their community and the things that Henderson and Vance County offer.

Wilkerson said she told the group at graduation that if they only took away one thing, she hoped that it would be that they speak positively about their community. “Positivity is the name of the game,” she said on Wednesday’s TownTalk.

Modeled after the Leadership Vance program, this program gave students a chance to visit area businesses, agencies and organizations that operate in the city and county, as well as observe government and civic engagement activities.

Vanessa Jones led the program, and Wilkerson called her the program’s “fearless leader” and a perfect fit. Retired from Vance-Granville Community College, “she’s been around students all her life” and undaunted by the prospect of working with teenagers.

Feedback from the participants – students from four different schools across the county – ranged from “I never knew that existed” to “never knew we had that here,” Wilkerson said.

“I challenged each of them to spread that knowledge” about their community, she added.

A 2022 pilot program worked with 8th graders, but Wilkerson said that age group proved to be a little young, so this year’s program was limited to 10th and 11th graders. “By the end of session one, the kids were already exchanging cell phone numbers, so that was a ‘win,’” she said.

One of the goals of the leadership program is to bring students from different schools together. Wilkerson said she’s already fielded calls from Kerr-Vance Academy to be included in next year’s program.

Jayden Watkins said, “I had the chance to go behind the scenes of Henderson, learn history about our city that I hadn’t learned before but most of all understand how each person in our city is important…Every position matters because every person’s job is important to make our community work in unity!”

For participant Kate Seifert, the program contributed to her growth in leadership skills, community awareness and empathy toward others.

“The Student Leadership Institute gave me the opportunity to connect with other students while learning about the inner workings and hidden aspects of Henderson and Vance County,” Seifert said. It was incredibly inspiring and eye-opening to see firsthand all of the people who work behind the scenes to help our town to grow and thrive.”

She said she especially enjoyed the health and community day, when the group toured the Boys and Girls Club, the SAM Child Advocacy Center, Maria Parham Health, Henderson YMCA, and Abria’s Chase Foundation. “Throughout this day, I gained a deeper understanding of services in Henderson that help us stay connected, healthy, and supported as a community.”

Watkins said the program has helped him “discover the greatness that lies within Henderson. Most teenagers like me when I was younger, don’t think Henderson is a place we want to live in after college,” he said.

But, he added, Henderson “needs my generation to bring the greatness to the forefront by evolving as leaders.”

Here is a list of students by school who completed the program:

Henderson Collegiate

Jenifer Aguilar

Kameron Bullock

Mya Fisher

Jayden Watkins

Faith Wimbush

Vance County High School

Alajiah Alston

Choice Puryear

Harold Timberlake

Vance Charter School

Noah Bean

Joshua Jones

Kate Seifert

Bridger Stewardson

Crossroads Christian

Anderson Boyd

Rebecca Fowler

Ava Wade

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Edmonds Tennis Foundation

TownTalk: Edmonds Uses Tennis To Promote Oral Health

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The tennis courts at Fox Pond Park will be occupied Saturday with young people swinging racquets and … toothbrushes?

That’s right, it’s Tennis and Dentist Community Fun Day, hosted by Edmonds Tennis and Education Foundation.

Young people ages 5-18 are invited to come out to the park for the event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fox Pond Park is located at 375 Vicksboro Rd.

Participants will get free tennis lessons from some tennis experts and they’ll learn the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene from a couple of local tooth experts.

Dr. Jerry Edmonds, III and his wife Dorcel launched the 501c3 in 2018 and this is their third fun day event to introduce the sport of tennis to young people.

The foundation was named National Junior Tennis Learning Chapter of the Year back at a meeting in January, at which time the 17 North Carolina NJTL chapters were challenged with coming up with an innovative way to teach tennis in combination with a community learning experience.

Edmonds said his wife came up with the idea on the drive back home from the meeting.

The foundation uses the game of tennis as a vehicle to foster and develop positive character traits including integrity, honesty and more, Edmonds said.

And since May is National Tennis Month, they’re offering a tennis clinic and an oral hygiene clinic. But this clinic won’t have kids opening wide for the dentist to peer inside at teeth and gums; rather, there will giveaways of things like toothbrushes, floss and more, Edmonds said.

“The goal is to teach (children) early on the importance of good dental hygiene,” he said.

Granville Vance Public Health representatives will be on hand with information about its dental clinic, for example, and its school-based program called “The Tooth Club.”

Last year, the foundation awarded 17 $500 scholarships to graduating high school seniors to use toward college costs.

Sponsorships are vital to the foundation’s scholarship program, but Edmonds said the “secret sauce” is pairing local sponsors with those scholarship recipients to create a mentor/mentee relationship.

Through the scholarship program, tennis clinics and more, Edmonds said he hopes the foundation is creating “an army of givers” who will spread out across the community and beyond and to keep coming up with ways to be involved.

 

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VGCC Logo

TownTalk: Vance Granville Helping Small Businesses

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Dr. Jerry Edmonds, III, vice president of Workforce Development and Community Engagement at Vance-Granville Community, said he’s proud of the way the community supports small businesses and entrepreneurs. It may make his job just a bit easier, too.

From local government to the Chamber of Commerce, the network of support is a strong one for new business owners in the area.

“It seems like every week we’re having a small business ribbon-cutting,” Edmonds said on Tuesday’s TownTalk.

And those business owners have a valuable resource at VGCC – the Small Business Center. SBC Director Carolyn Perry’s office is located at the VGCC South Campus in Creedmoor, but Edmonds said she travels throughout the four-county area to help small business owners.

The services are free, and help individuals with anything from startup to counseling hours – it’s all designed to make sure that new businesses stay in business.

Statistics show that new businesses most often fail within the first five years, and Edmonds said the SBC is here to help during that initial period and beyond to help businesses continue to thrive. “We’re intentional,” he said. “We really try to mentor them and make sure they make it through that crucial five years.”

Whether you’ve been in business for awhile and maybe need a sounding board for advice or you’re thinking about starting your own business, the SBC is here to serve.

“Our job is to help business owners, be they startups or those that have been in business for years,” Edmonds said, adding that the local SBC help between 10-15 new businesses each year and provide help to retain that many businesses as well.

Visit www.vgcc.edu to learn more.

 

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Vance County Logo

TownTalk: Board of Equalization and Review Hears Appeals

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Vance County residents who want to learn more about the revaluation process and just how it will affect their tax bill can attend an information session on May 20 at 4 p.m. The info session will take place in the county administration building, known commonly still as “the old courthouse.”

One tidbit of information that may have been helpful for a handful of residents who appeared before the board of equalization and review last week: Have proper documentation to support your case for a lower valuation.

Another important tidbit: The appeals process ends June 3. It’s almost mid-May, so property owners who want to contest their revaluations need to get busy.

The county’s board of commissioners doubles as the board of equalization and review, and although some residents provided anecdotal evidence and even photographs to support their remarks, commissioners time and again said they needed written documentation.

Each of the five cases that were heard also were continued, and commissioners offered suggestions to help the property owners understand what was needed.

“A common theme tonight is that some people just don’t understand what information they need to bring,” said Commission Chair Dan Brummitt. Brummitt also said more information needs to be shared with the public about several exemptions that are available for property owners.

“They all have evidence…but they didn’t bring it,” Brummitt said.

One woman spoke and said there was no way her home could be valued at $103,000 – she lives among at least two abandoned homes, squatters living in a former business nearby and a hoarder one street away. She had pictures but nothing in writing, so commissioners, although sympathetic, said she didn’t have proper documentation to support her appeal.

Upon learning that the boarded-up house next door had sold for $12,000, commissioners encouraged the homeowner to request that public information – available at the tax office – to then present to the E & R on appeal.

Another woman who lives near Kittrell said her property value went from $50,000 to $109,000.

“I live in a doublewide, an old doublewide,” she said. And although she no longer has the swimming pool, outbuilding or deck on her property, “my property tax went up,” she said.

Brummitt said each property listing has a tax card that includes comparable properties. They’re on the back of the tax card, he said.

This resident said $75,000 is a more realistic price for her property, but Brummitt asked what documentation she had to support that claim. Comps could be one way to document similar properties and their values.

The county’s website has posted a lot of pertinent information about the appeals process, and tax office staff is available to answer questions, said Commissioner Yolanda Feimster.

“They’re there to answer your questions,” Feimster said, adding that staff is willing to extend any assistance needed to residents.

Not everybody is computer savvy or computer literate, and Commissioner Leo Kelly said senior adults especially may need a little extra help. “The information is overwhelming,” he said. “It’s just too much information all at one time.”

County Manager C. Renee Perry told WIZS in an earlier interview that the county is working on a tight deadline. Perry said “the plan is for the Board of E&R to open on May 6 and close on June 3. The last day to appeal will be June 3.”

Visit www.vancecounty.org/departments/tax-overview to learn more. Call the tax office at 252.738.2040.

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TownTalk: Beard Discusses Rural Health Care

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Maria Parham Health CEO Bert Beard said the state of health care in this area is in a pretty good spot these days. That doesn’t mean that rural hospitals like Maria Parham don’t continue to face challenges, but Beard said hospitals in other markets are facing some of the same things.

Beard was a guest on Thursday’s TownTalk to discuss some of the trends that he’s seeing from his vantage point.

Medicaid expansion, he said, is allowing more uninsured or under-insured residents access to health care. The number of new enrollees is about half a million, approaching the prediction of about 600,000 in North Carolina.

“We’re lagging a bit in Vance County,” he said, but health care professionals at MPH as well as Granville Vance Public Health and others are always looking for new enrollees.

With rising costs and the constant demand to find qualified health care employees, Beard said the Medicaid expansion “has given us a lifeline that we desperately needed.”

Beard said he and his colleagues knew hospitals were headed down a path to a health care provider shortage, but the COVID-19 pandemic hastened that process. Without adequate staff, some small hospitals simply couldn’t afford to keep the doors open, which only brings more challenges to the rural areas they serve.

“Services are going away that are vital,” he said. One of those is maternal services. It’s critical that expectant moms be within, say, an hour of a hospital that provides those services, for the safety of the mom and the child.

When he spoke at the April 23 “state of health care” forum sponsored by the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce, Beard said top on people’s minds was the mental health crisis that is so often in the news.

He looks forward to the Emergency Department’s Safe Space project that has received funding and said it will transform how patients in crisis can be managed when they come through the Emergency Department.

Mental health issues are multi-dimensional and under-resourced, Beard said, noting that psychological issues are often entangled in social issues and substance abuse, which exacerbate the problem.

“We’ve got to be more deliberate in how we invest in that,” he said. Public-private partnerships like MPH behavioral health services in Louisburg is something that Beard said he is quite proud of.

Whether through collaboration or providing quality health care by Duke physicians and others, Maria Parham is poised to keep patients across the region it serves top of mind when it comes to community care.

It must be a mutually supportive relationship, however, Beard said. When you seek care, seek local care first.

“It’s more important than ever,” he said, that “when people have good available local health care, that they choose it – the alternative is that health care goes away if it’s not supported locally.”

“We’re working every day to get better every day. That comes with a mutually supportive relationship with our community.”

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Shriners Fish Fry Today; Get Plates Until 7 PM

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WIZS was live at the 60th annual Shriners Fish Fry today during the 11 a.m TownTalk segment. Come get some fish today until 7 p.m. 

Today’s THE Day, if you’re a member of the Tri-County Shrine Club. Or, if you’re someone who is planning to drive out to the annual Fish Fry. Today’s the day. Come get your fish between now and 7 p.m.

Take-out plates are ready now and the cars are lining up to get plates of perfectly battered and fried fish, complete with cole slaw, potato salad and hush puppies.

If you’ve got a ticket, great, but if you don’t, no problem. Shriners will happily take your $10 in exchange for a plate.

It’s all for a good cause – proceeds go to Shriners Children’s Hospital and burn centers.

Orders of 10 plates or more were delivered to places of business who called.

“Buy a fish plate to support Shriners Hospital,” Billy Currin said in an interview. He said they’d gotten about 600 lunch orders by 11:30 or so, and Vernon Mustian – taking a break from the fryer – said there’s plenty of fish for all.

Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame was out in the take-out line first thing and encourages everyone to come out and get some fish for a great cause. As someone who had been a burn victim himself as a young person, the result of a tobacco barn that blew up, he said, “Any time I can volunteer, I do my best to do it.”

Shriner Sherby Slaughter found himself under the tent on Fish Fry Day, taking money and tickets while plates get loaded into vehicles.

“They gave me a sit-down job, so I’m just where I need to be,” Slaughter said. He has offered his property for the past several years to host the Fish Fry, which has proven to be a perfect spot to get vehicles through the line safely and efficiently.

Slaughter said he is happy that he is able to provide the location – “anything we can do for the crippled and burned child,” he said.

One of those people shuttling plates of piping hot fish to the pick-up area is Dale Dancause, who said he’s been involved with Masons and Shriners for about 15 years.

“It’s all about the children,” he said, adding that his association with these two groups was “the best thing I ever did in my life.”