Tag Archive for: #towntalk

The Local Skinny! Involving Churches In Mental Health Education

/by

A bill introduced by Rep. Frank Sossamon that would get the faith community invested and involved in tackling mental health issues has passed the House in an almost unanimous vote, leaving passage by the Senate and then the governor’s signature before it can become law.

Sossamon said a pilot program is all set to be rolled out in Vance and Granville counties, which he represents – he’s just waiting for the bill to clear the last two hurdles. If all goes well, the plan is to have a program kickoff in September.

“We’ve got our notebook ready with all the material,” Sossamon said on Monday’s segment of The Local Skinny! “But we can’t do anything until it’s signed into law.”

The bill creates three levels of certification that churches can participate in to help their congregations and the larger community with education about mental health topics and resources available in the area.

More than 30 churches and other faith-based organizations are already signed up, according to information in Sossamon’s monthly newsletter to constituents.

The first level includes an orientation for church leadership to become familiar with resources in the area, Sossamon said, as well as inviting a pastor to preach about a different topic each month. Hearing about, say, depression from the pulpit or in Sunday School classes may help to remove the stigma of mental illness, he said. “It demystifies mental illness…and is also liberating” for someone who may be suffering in silence. It lets them know they can have a conversation with their pastor, or others in the church. “That in itself brings healing,” Sossamon added.

The next level of certification involves a quarterly training on mental health and level 3 involves specialized mental health first aid training and training to recognize someone who may be in crisis or expressing suicidal thoughts.

“We are still in the midst of a mental health crisis in North Carolina,” said Representative Frank Sossamon. “This program provides a unique opportunity to tap into the compassion and dedication of our faith communities to support their fellow citizens. By leveraging the trust and connections that churches have within their communities, we can make a meaningful impact on mental health care and support.”

Pastors in Vance and Granville counties can sign up HERE to get on the official list and receive kickoff information and program updates. If you are outside of Granville County or Vance County and interested in participating in the program, keep on eye on Sossamon’s monthly newsletter to know when the program will expand to other counties.

Sossamon and bill sponsors urge all North Carolinians to contact their state senators and express their support for HB 982. By advocating for this bill, you can help ensure that it becomes law and that our faith communities are empowered to play a vital role in addressing the mental health crisis.

View the bill text here and see its progress here.

To learn more about the faith-based program or to sign up for Sossamon’s monthly newsletter, visit https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/zdADBdY.

CLICK PLAY!

TownTalk: Introducing Cooperative Extension Agriculture Agent Michael Ellington

/by

When Michael Ellington was getting his plant nursery up and running a few years ago in neighboring Granville County, he turned to a trusted source – his local cooperative extension agent – for guidance as he built his business literally from the ground up.

That agent was Johnny Coley, and Ellington said he provided so much more than technical support. “It opened my eyes to what extension could do for me” beyond those technical aspects.

And now, as the agricultural agent for Vance County, Ellington said he’s using a three-pronged approach to his new role: Support, Strengthen and Sustain.

Ellington and Vance County Cooperative Extension Director Dr. Wykia Macon shared their vision about how the various extension agents can help residents in a variety of ways.

“There’s a lot more to agriculture and I think people are finally starting to wake up to that,” Ellington, a Henderson native, said on Monday’s TownTalk. After he left Vance County, he got a master’s degree at Virginia Tech and then spent some time in Charlottesville before coming back to the area and starting Notta Farm and Nursery, LLC.

He got reacquainted with Vance County when he became a vendor at the regional farmers market; “I really enjoyed reaching out to customers” and engaging with them.

From there, it wasn’t a big stretch to decide that he could engage with others in the community as an extension agent.

He and Macon met at a vendor meeting, and that’s when the seed was, um, planted – pun intended.

Ellington said it’s important the folks know that extension is supportive of their efforts and “is still a great resource for them,” but he wants to strengthen agriculture’s roots and create new producers as they create greater sustainability in the county.

“We want people to know that extension is going to be there for them and will be for the long haul,” he said.

Macon said she and staff have plans to make the regional farmers market a place where people want to be, not just for a few minutes to pick up some fresh produce, but a place that provides other opportunities for young and senior residents alike.

As a vendor for several years at the farmers market, Ellington said he noticed that customers were either seniors or very young. And he wants to change that, “get people cooking again,” he said.

Whether with food trucks or by offering samples of local produce used for meal-making or just for snacks, extension has some plans to get more people to visit the market.

“There are exciting things coming,” Macon said.

In his first four weeks on the job, Ellington said he’s been out in the community he grew up in, shaking hands and getting to know people. He hopes to cultivate associations with other agencies and groups to promote awareness.

“It’s important for us to get out in front of people,” Macon added. Whether it’s a church group, a community center or an apartment, Macon said she and her staff want the community to know that the farmers market accepts senior vouchers and EBT, for example, and that 4-H isn’t just for kids who want to learn about farming – they can learn about STEM, robotics and more.

Visit https://vance.ces.ncsu.edu/ to learn more.

CLICK PLAY!

American Flag

TownTalk: Wise Community To Celebrate 4th Of July

/by

Everything’s all set for the 23rd edition of the Wise July 4 Independence Day parade and festival. Mary Ann Perkinson, one of the organizers, said participants can enjoy live music, children’s activities and food and craft vendors after the parade passes by, but she’s not spilling the beans about the parade – “You’ll have to come see what they are – we’re not going to tell all of our secrets,” Perkinson said on Thursday’s TownTalk.

Bring a chair so you can sit under the shade of the trees in the church yard or under the pavilion at Wise Baptist Church, she said. Feature Attraction will be performing during the festival, which begins as soon as the last parade entry passes by.

They’re still taking entries, so anyone with a pretty, shiny car to show off or a wagon pulling grandchildren is welcome to phone Gary Paynter 252.438.0574. (No motorcycles or four-wheelers, she said.)

The parade begins at 10 a.m., so entrants need to be lined up earlier than that just across U.S. 1 from Bruce Parkinson’s home, Perkinson said. The parade route will follow U.S. 1 and will end right at the old school at Wise Baptist Church.

There’s plenty of parking there for people, and Perkinson said she and other organizers figure there will be upwards of 5,000 people who stop in between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The parade and festival got its start in 2000, and since then, they’ve only missed one year. Yep, one parade was sidelined because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

There will be different foods for sale, including homemade ice cream in flavors like peach, strawberry, chocolate and vanilla.

“It’s just a fun day for everybody,” Perkinson said. Organizing it is “a lot of work, but we do it because we love our community and we hope people will come.”

For more information about parade entry, vendor space or the car show please contact Gary Paynter at 252.438.0574, Danielle Edgerton at 252.204.2605 or Mike McCray at 919.604.3081.

CLICK PLAY!

TownTalk: Men’s Shelter Closing In On New Home At Former City Road Methodist Church

/by

The nation celebrates Independence Day next week, and just a few days later on July 8, the emergency men’s shelter is planning an independence day celebration of its own – that’s the day the shelter leaves its current location and clients will call City Road Center of Hope home. Darryl Jones, the shelter’s program manager, said the building is going through the final phases of meeting all the code requirements, and Monday, July 8 should be the day when the shelter will be operating at the new location.

An official ribbon-cutting is planned for August, but until then, the larger shelter can serve more clients. The current shelter is full, Jones said, with 11 men housed there.

This day has been a long time coming, and Jones said this is not the end of a project, but rather, just the beginning.

The 365 Dream Team project seeks to find 365 donors to give $365 a year to help the shelter stay open 365 days a year.

“Without you all, we wouldn’t be doing this – you are our backbone and we still need your support,” Jones said when he was a guest on a recent TownTalk segment.

Area churches, organizations and individuals provide support through financial contributions, providing meals or other supplies the shelter needs.

And area restaurants help provide food for shelter clients, too. “We’re so thankful for them and for the churches,” Jones said. “I’m pleased and overwhelmed with joy and happiness” that all these people are coming together to help the mission of helping men overcome life’s challenges and get back on their feet.

Visit www.cp-hope.org to learn how you can help. Make a financial donation, sign up to provide a meal, or volunteer.

Send tax-deductible contributions to:

Community Partners of Hope, Inc.

P.O. Box 1791

Henderson, NC 27536

Please note in Memo Line 365-2024-05

 

CLICK PLAY!

 

TownTalk: GPS In County Vehicles

/by

As of just a few weeks ago, vehicles that are owned by Vance County are now equipped with GPS tracking devices.

County Manager C. Renee Perry said installing the devices is being done “as a matter of safety and for fleet tracking.” The cost is roughly $9,300 a year, but that doesn’t include vehicles used by the Sheriff’s Office. They don’t have the equipment – yet.

There is some debate between Sheriff Curtis Brame and other county officials about whether the county has the authority to place the GPS trackers on vehicles used by the Sheriff’s Office.

Brame has said he is not in favor of putting the devices on his patrol cars, even though they are county-owned vehicles.

There was discussion at a June 13 county budget work session, during which Perry stated that County Attorney Jonathan Care said the sheriff’s vehicles could be included, but Brame read a statement that supported his claim that the county doesn’t have jurisdiction over the vehicles in his fleet.

The county doesn’t have power over the sheriff’s office or of its personnel; Perry said the board of commissioners “is still considering attorney guidance” in the matter.

CLICK PLAY!

 

Edmonds Tennis Foundation

TownTalk: Edmonds Tennis & Education Foundation Honors Scholarship Winners

/by

The 2024 recipients of the Edmonds Tennis & Education Foundation scholarships were honored at a weekend ceremony.

Seven recent high school graduates join the previous recipients, bringing the total to 43 the number of young people to benefit from the ETEF scholarship since the nonprofit was established in 2018.

The ETEF is for young people between the ages of 5 and 18 who want to learn about tennis or who want to really get serious about honing their tennis skills..

But Dr. Jerry Edmonds also sees the program as a network of people to call on for guidance and support.

This year’s winners include:

  • Seaniya Rodgers
  • Kenan Roberts
  • Laila Ruffin
  • Jamir Parham
  • Amari Blair
  • Zion Mosley
  • Anaya  Brame

Dr. Ervin Griffin, Sr., president emeritus of Halifax Community College, was the keynote speaker. Griffin offered words of encouragement to the scholarship recipients.

“We believe in you and your ability and willingness to embrace change and not fear the future,” Griffin said. “Whatever you do with your life, don’t quit,” he said.

As part of the 21st century workforce, Griffin said today’s young people must be like entrepreneurs, which means having to be open to change and innovation. Don’t let others with the “we’ve never done it that way before” attitude create barriers to progress.

Past ETEF scholarship winner Emma Hicks returned to the “clubhouse” – the term Dr. Jerry Edmonds, the ETEF staff and participants use to refer to the tennis center ETEF calls home – to offer her encouragement to the new recipients.

Hicks just completed her first year at UNC-Wilmington and said it was “the happiest and hardest year of my life.” She told the soon-to-be-college freshmen to “just get in there, put yourself out there,” when they arrive on campus. Also, find a studying technique that works for you and to make sure to find a good study/have fun balance.

For Edmonds, Saturday’s program offered a chance to recognize the students for their accomplishments and to send them off on the right foot to keep doing good things for themselves and their community.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” Edmonds said. “We really enjoy doing this for the students.” Each student will get a $500 scholarship and a built-in mentor who will be available to the students during their first year of college – and beyond.

“It really is about those mentorship positions,” he said. “It’s always nice to have folks say you can go further.”

For Edmonds, that person is Griffin, the banquet’s keynote speaker.

“He’s the reason I pursued my doctorate degree…to this day, he pushes me to do more and move forward.”

Click Play!

Vance County Logo

TownTalk: Does Vance County Know Where Its Money Is?

/by

Vance County Manager C. Renee Perry has confirmed that there is an open investigation into the practices of the county’s former finance director after a recent audit found deficiencies in financial processes that involves $1.1 million in county funds.

The audit presented at the June 3 Board of Commissioners meeting revealed that the former finance director “wired, from the County’s bank account, funds equating to approximately $1.1 million dollars through the end of fiscal year 2023, with subsequent wire transfers occurring into fiscal year 2024.”

Katherine Bigelow had served as the county’s finance director since 2019. She was dismissed in February 2024; on May 10, Perry sent an email to county staff informing them of Bigelow’s “recent passing.”

The county has 60 days from the June 3 audit report presentation to present a plan of action to the Local Government Commission.

In an email to WIZS earlier today, Perry said the audit – a public record – disclosed some of the information, adding that there is little else she can say at this point, per the FBI.

“The County was deprived of its monetary resources, resources which should have gone to covering legitimate expenditures and projects which the County has undertaken,” the audit report stated.

The audit report identified four “significant” audit findings: budget violation, reconciliation of records, internal controls and timeliness. In his presentation to commissioners, Alan Thompson said his team at Whiteville-based Thompson, Price, Scott, Adams, and Co., P.A. noted that the county failed to comply with General Statutes by not having a two-signature process in place as it pertains to county funds.

This lack of secondary approval or oversight allowed for the finance director to post entries in the county’s financial software; the audit pointed to lack of sufficient training and cross-training practices to ensure proper handling of financial matters.

Citing timeliness of the numbers and the accuracy of the numbers they were provided, Thompson said they discovered issues that they couldn’t get satisfactory answers for.

“By November, she (Bigelow) wasn’t giving us information in a timely way,” Thompson said.

Thompson conceded that his team could have done a better job briefing Perry – who only came on board in November 2023.

“At that point, we didn’t suspect foul play, but we didn’t know,” Thompson said.

Over the past three or four months, county staff and the audit team have communicated weekly – sometimes daily, and Perry said, “We’ve had conversations…moving forward, things will be different.”

Commission Chair Dan Brummitt said he would like to see an agreement “defined in writing. There appears to have been some miscommunication along the way,” he said. Brummitt said he would go so far as to create an Audit Committee, made up of commissioners and others with accounting experience.

(As of 2-5-25 this story contains a correction. Alan Thompson should have been listed as the person who presented the audit report.)

CLICK PLAY!

TownTalk: Juneteenth and July 4th, Vance Tourism

/by

July 4 falls on a Thursday this year, which makes for a long weekend just right for vacationers and campers to enjoy a few extra days in and around Kerr Lake. We’ll turn our attention to the skies around Satterwhite Point on Saturday, July 6 for the annual fireworks show, but come early and enjoy all the festivities that await, local tourism officials said.

Norman Dickerson and Pam Hester said this year’s activities include music by DJ Jay, as well as a variety of area vendors selling everything from wings and cheesesteaks to shaved ice treats.

The festivities begin around 4 p.m., and vendors will be set up and ready by 2:30 p.m. Dickerson said.

There’s a $7 state park gate fee – that’s per car, not per person. And a reminder: No alcohol is allowed in state parks. The community is invited to come out to enjoy the afternoon and stay for the fireworks display, which will begin sometime between 9:15 and 9:30, Dickerson said.

As in years past, the show should last 30 minutes or a little bit longer.

Once the last oohs and aahs have drifted into the night sky, Satterwhite Point Road will be transformed into a two-lane exit. The State Highway Patrol will close Satterwhite Point Road at Anderson Creek about the time the fireworks start to make sure festival goers can depart efficiently and safely.

RJ’s Grill, Bun on the Run and Warehouse Barbecue of Youngsville will provide burgers, dogs and more, while other vendors will have everything from corn dogs to pretzels and ice cream.

There also will be novelty items – think all things glow-in-the-dark – and the kids will be happy.

Dickerson and Hester appreciate the considerable support that more than a dozen area agencies provide to get what Hester called a “massive undertaking” like the holiday festival up and running.

From fire departments and the Highway Patrol, Sheriff’s Office, Coast Guard Auxiliary, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and, of course, the N.C. State Parks system, Vance County’s tourism officials give a solid pat on the back.

If it were left to the two of them to pull off,  the celebration would look less like fireworks and more like sparklers, they said.

Click Play!

Vance County Logo

TownTalk: More Information on Revaluation and Tax Rate Increase

/by

Vance County commissioners are divided on the issue of how often to conduct a property reappraisal and revaluation – state law requires the revaluation occur at least every 8 years, but many counties have opted to have them more often.

According to Commissioner Sean Alston, only about 20 percent of the state’s 100 counties – 22 counties – are on an 8-year cycle.

Wake County, for example, does a reval every two years, but others have chosen to be on four- or six-year cycles.

But local commissioners do not, so far, anyway, see eye to eye on what the frequency should be.

It was a topic of discussion at the June 13 budget work session, and at that time, the commissioners agreed on tabling the discussion for now and revisting it next year.

Commissioner Sean Alston said the county didn’t need to wait 8 years for the next revaluation. Judging from citizens’ responses to the most recent revaluation, many were surprised at the jump in property values.

Having revals more often “reduces the shock value,” said Commissioner Archie Taylor. “Our community was shocked this time,” Taylor said.

Commissioner Leo Kelly said he leans toward revals every four or six years. “The real estate market is volatile,” Kelly said.

The cost of a revaluation right now is in the neighborhood of $700,000, a figure that Commission Chair Dan Brummitt balked at shelling out more often than every eight years.

Alston and Kelly, however, said spending the money for more frequent reappraisals could reap benefits – in addition to not overwhelming property owners with large increases, more frequent revals could put the county in a position where it could return to a revenue-neutral rate, maybe even lower, said Kelly.

In arriving at consensus on the 10-cent tax increase per $100 valuation, Taylor said he didn’t want to pay the higher tax bill, but he was willing to do so.

“I want my county and my community I live in to get better,” he said.

Alston said the county can’t keep “using Band-aids” to create temporary fixes. “We’re running out of Band-aids…we have to have growth.”

The Vance County Board of Commissioners is scheduled to meet at 4 p.m. on Monday, June 24 and could formally adopt the FY2024-25 budget at that time.

CLICK PLAY!

 

Vance County Logo

TownTalk: County Budget Deliberations

/by

In a budget work session last week, the Vance County Board of Commissioners worked to reach consensus to raise the tax rate by 10 cents – to 71 cents per $100 property valuation – a move that will provide cost-of-living increases for staff and have funds for capital projects and a possible salary study.

The consensus, though not an official vote, was reached with four commissioners in favor.

It’s estimated that the additional 10 cents will generate $4.3 million in additional revenue.

According to County Manager C. Renee Perry, the revenue-neutral rate of 61.3 cents per $100 valuation would not be enough to support any capital projects that are needed in the county, including work on a new jail, 911 call center, a northern end EMS station and more.

Perry broke it down this way: 1 cent will be for an additional 3 percent COLA increase (for a total of 7 percent), and the other 9 cents would be for addressing capital needs and the salary study.

Commissioner Sean Alston said the county must pay attention to salaries that would be more competitive with surrounding counties.

“We have to move for the future,” Alston said.

Commissioner Leo Kelly concurred. “If we don’t grow the budget, we don’t grow the county.” Kelly said it is critical to take advantage of the revaluation to keep the county moving forward. “This is the time to do it,” he said of increasing the tax rate.

Chair Dan Brummitt said he is willing to entertain ideas about the budget but said he does not support a tax increase.

“It doesn’t make sense,” he said, adding that the county should not grow the government; rather, “leave the money in people’s pockets” and let them invest in the county to grow the economy.

Commissioner Archie Taylor said he is in favor of raising salaries to help the staffing shortages across county agencies, including the Department of Social Services, sheriff’s office and the jail – which has had almost two dozen vacancies for the past two years, according to Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame.

In addition to salary increases, Commissioner Yolanda Feimster said the county has to keep an eye on quality of services. “We can’t keep prolonging the situation – we’ve got to get people hired” so county residents can have the quality of services they desire and deserve.

Click Play!