Tag Archive for: #towntalk

TownTalk: Commissioners Terminate Funding and Contract Relationship with “Rescue Squad”

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In a 4-2 vote, the Vance County Board of Commissioners Monday terminated funding for the Vance County Rescue Squad, effective Sept. 30, 2025.

The county did not renew the contract with the rescue squad, which expired on June 30, but commissioners agreed to a 90-day extension. That extension ends Sept. 30.

During a joint meeting last week of the county’s public safety committee and the fire commission, the discussion ramped up to include the possibility of merging the Vance County Fire Department and the Vance County Rescue Squad, a 501(c)3 organization established in 1953.

Several people spoke Monday night to commissioners in support of the rescue squad during the public comment portion of the meeting, among them, Brandon Link, president of the Vance County Firefighters Association.

County Manager C. Renee Perry told commissioners that the county has the authority to reduce or terminate funding for the rescue squad, but not to dissolve the rescue squad, which is a volunteer organization.

Commissioner Tommy Hester’s motion to terminate funding, effective Sept. 30, was seconded by Commissioner Leo Kelly.

Commissioners Dan Brummitt and Valencia Perry cast the “no” votes and Commissioners Hester, Kelly, Chair Carolyn Faines and Charisse Fain cast votes in favor of the termination. Commissioner Feimster was absent.

“I want to save taxpayers money,” Hester said. “I want to move forward. I think we’ve got the fire chief to do it,” he said.

Commissioner Perry said, “We need to slow it down,” with regard to making a decision whether to continue funding the rescue squad, which got applause from the audience.

Commissioner Kelly said it’s a matter of looking at consolidation, not trying to put anyone out of business.

“Their service is valuable,” Kelly said, referring to the Vance County Rescue Squad.

During a joint meeting last week of the Vance County Firefighter’s Association and the Vance County Commissioner Public Safety Committee, Vance County Fire Department Chief Marvin Harrison said, “Let us move forward, grounded in truth and committed to collaboration, for the good of the public we are sworn to protect.”

At that joint meeting, Manager Perry said, “I have so much confidence in the Vance County Fire Department.  If the commissioners choose to end the contract on sept. 30, I have no doubt in my mind that the Vance County citizens will be ok.“

The outcome is contrary to what the fire association said it wanted in a letter written after its mid-July meeting.  The fire association wanted the Rescue Squad funded the same as other volunteer departments in Vance County, with a contract for 2025-2028 in place.

Click Play for TownTalk Audio on 8-5-25 AFTER the Vance County Commissioners Meeting

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Click Play for TownTalk Audio on 8-4-25 BEFORE the Vance County Commissioners Meeting

UPDATE 8-4-25 BEFORE the Vance County Commissioners Meeting

Members of the Vance County Firefighter’s Association and Vance County Commissioners Public Safety Committee held a joint meeting last week to continue discussions about the future – and fate – of the Vance County Rescue Squad.

The Vance County Board of Commissioners did not renew a contract with the rescue squad, which ended on June 30. The commissioners did, however, agree to a 90-day extension. That period ends Sept. 30, 2025.

During the joint meeting, County Manager C. Renee Perry said the item would be on tonight’s agenda for the commissioners’ regular monthly meeting, which begins at 6 p.m.

Commissioner Dan Brummitt, a member of the Public Safety Committee, shared contents of a letter signed by seven members of the Vance County Firefighters Association which offered support for the rescue squad.

“The association sees the benefit of the Vance County Rescue Squad and supports that organization and their mission to protect the citizens of Vance County,” the letter states.

“The certifications, equipment, and experience of the rescue squad, serving continuously since 1953, are an asset to all fire departments and citizens in Vance County,” it continued. The letter called for the county to reinstate the three-year contract with the rescue squad for 2025-28 and that the rescue squad be fully funded in 2025-26 just like all the other departments.

Brummitt said, “These are the guys that are out in the field. These are the guys that know what they’re doing and these are the ones that put their lives on the line every day and they’re asking for the support of the rescue squad. So I can’t see how we can do anything any different.”

Back in 2023, a fire study completed by AP Triton recommended that the county consider merging or at least increasing collaboration between the Vance County Fire Department and the Vance County Rescue Squad, County Manager C. Renee Perry reminded.

If the two entities merge, Perry said the rescue squad members would have to apply for positions with the Vance County Fire Dept and be part-time personnel. She said she didn’t know how a merger would affect the rescue squad assets (equipment). The rescue squad has been in operation since 1953 and is a nonprofit organization. Its members are volunteers.

Brummitt said he would get behind creating a combination department to allow to have paid staff and volunteers, just like the county’s other fire departments.

“It would save money and would allow us to spend money in other areas of the county to offer equal protection to all of our citizens in the county,” Brummitt said.

Brummitt continued, “It would not do away with the department, it would do away with the structure of the department.”

To which Perry said, “The study did not recommend that.” It recommended that the Vance County Fire Department (Golden Belt) remain a career fire department.

Brummitt took issue with other findings in the 2023 fire study, including response times. He said some redistricting could improve call times.

TownTalk: Recovery Alive Receives Opioid Settlement Money

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Tisha Temple, the founder and CEO of Recovery Alive Homes, has a passion for helping people struggling with opioid use disorder. She once struggled with it herself, and has been free from its grip for 11 years now.

Temple’s nonprofit was one of two groups to get grants from the city of Henderson in its initial disbursement of opioid settlement money.

The Henderson City Council granted RA Homes $50,000 to set up two residential sober-living homes here – and Temple can’t wait until the project is up and running.

“The money is there because people are losing their lives to opioid use disorder,” she explained on Thursday’s TownTalk.

“When we have funding to be able to create solutions in communities to give people a different pathway and to help them find recovery, the best thing to do is not leave the money sitting in the bank – the best thing to do is distribute it,” she said.

There are eight RA Homes in operation now, Temple said. She’s working with a local realtor to identify properties and then will work with an investor to purchase the homes, one for men and one for women who are already in recovery.

“That is how our model works,” she said. “We lease the properties from management teams. We are truly part of beautiful community solutions. We are good neighbors.”

She’s got her eyes on one property already, and hopes it’ll work out. If not, she said she “will patiently wait for God to open the right doors.”

Locating sober-living homes here in Henderson has special meaning for Temple. It wasn’t that long ago that she herself was regaining control of her life in a similar residential program in Raleigh.

At the time, fresh out of prison, Temple got the chance to enter a recovery treatment program and ultimately into a sober-living home.

The residential program that she created with RA Homes, however, has one important component that the one in Raleigh didn’t.

“That recovery home saved my life…(but) it wasn’t Christ-centered. It worked, but I believe that my recovery grew deeper because I was able to have a relationship with Jesus. That was my recovery,” Temple said.

And now, some years later, Temple is gearing up to plant two new RA Homes in her hometown. “It is now time to open recover alive homes in the same community where I did not have the resources that I needed to get better and stay better,” she said.

RA Homes and the 12-step, Christ-centered program will be here to help somebody else’s son or daughter as they embark on a journey of sober living.

Visit www.wizs.com to listen back to the complete interview.

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TownTalk: Community Day with Turning Point CDC

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Saturday’s Community Day at Turning Point CDC checks all the boxes for families and others who are looking to learn more about resources available in the area, but Executive Director Chalis Henderson predicts the vibe will be closer to a family reunion than anything else.

“It’s a day of networking, a day of fun and fellowship and certainly excitement as we see the different vendors out there,” Henderson said. “It’s just good times.”

More than 40 vendors are expected to be on hand to share information and network with folks who live in their sphere of influence, from the local cooperative extension to the new charter school, The Sledge Institute.

All the vendors are asked to bring some school supplies to donate, which will be distributed during the event.

“We expect everyone to leave with plenty,” she said, whether it’s food, school supplies or increased knowledge and awareness of how to access resources in the area.

“Community Day is beneficial not only for the community members,” Henderson said, “but for the vendors and partners to connect…we can all come together and get what we need on this day.”

The event will take place on Saturday, Aug. 2 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Turning Point CDC campus, located at 2495 U.S. 1/158 in Henderson.

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“We’re big on networking, building partnerships and bridges,” Henderson said, adding that there are greater outcomes for the larger community when partnerships are formed.

With so many vendors and other activities going on throughout the day, Henderson said another community partner, NC Idea, is working it out so that each vendor will have a couple of minutes with a microphone to explain what they do and services they provide.

So even if you can’t visit each table, tent or booth, Henderson said if you’re within earshot, you’ll have a better idea of exactly what services are available and how to access them.

Turning Point CDC is an offshoot of Oasis of Hope Ministries, which Henderson’s parents established almost 25 years ago.

By empowering people, communities can be transformed, she said. Whoever visits the campus can see in action a thriving preschool, after-school program, food pantry and summer learning activities.

“There’s always some form of ministry or outreach taking place,” she said. “It’s a blessing to have a space that provides those opportunities…every single thing on our campus has a purpose to it and it’s designed with great intention.”

Visit https://www.turningpointcdc.org/ to learn more.

City Of Henderson Awarded $10.7M For Water Projects

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The City of Henderson is getting $10.7 million from the state’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund for its Sandy Creek Pump Station and Force Main projects.

The announcement came last week, when Gov. Josh Stein and the Department of Environmental Quality said that 48 projects in 27 counties would receive more than $204 million in funding for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects.

The awards will improve drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, address PFAS and other forever chemicals, identify and replace lead pipes and improve resiliency after future storms, according to information on the DEQ website.

“When you turn on the faucet in your home, you shouldn’t have to worry about whether that water is safe for your family,” said Governor Josh Stein. “These investments will help ensure North Carolinians have access to clean drinking water and will help keep people safe when disaster strikes.”

“At DEQ, we’re committed to ensuring everyone in North Carolina has access to clean water,” said DEQ Secretary Reid Wilson. “This funding will address aging infrastructure and improve public health for communities large and small.”

The town of Warrenton also is set to receive $10 million for its Phase IV Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements project.

TownTalk: KARTS FLEX Ride Is Right On Schedule

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In its first two months of operation, the KARTS FLEX Ride van is living up to expectations. KARTS officials say the goal is to increase ridership with each month of operation – so far, so good.

KARTS Executive Director Randy Cantor said the program is “going really well.”

Finance Manager Tonya Moore has the data to back up that sentiment – in June, the first month of operation for the Uber-style transit that operates within the city limits of Henderson – there were 242 riders. July isn’t even over yet, and ridership is at 253 and counting, Moore said on Tuesday’s TownTalk. She and Cantor discussed the new transportation opportunity available from KARTS.

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State and federal dollars are paying for the first three years of the micro transit. KARTS is one of a growing number of transportation agencies getting funds to establish micro transit programs.

“The goal is to increase every month,” Moore said. New passengers, not necessarily the same individuals who use the KARTS van service, are taking advantage of the new, streamlined system.

The door-to-door service helps people get to and from work, to doctor’s appointments or anywhere else within the city limits. Riders can book online, with an app on their phone or simply call the KARTS office to schedule transportation.

And the on-demand service can pick you up within 30 minutes.

“We’re keeping statistics,” Cantor said. “All of our trips have been 100 percent on-time performance. And there have been relatively few no-shows. There’s one vehicle in service now, but a second is available as demands for the service rise. And there’s a third vehicle that can be easily changed from a KARTS van to a FLEX Ride van, he said.

Each trip is $6, and the driver accepts cash, but KARTS said the process is much more streamlined if you pay by card or set up an account that automatically deducts the cost of the trip.

“The majority are scheduling on the app,” Moore said. “That’s exactly what we wanted to see – it streamlines the process for everyone involved.”

Both Cantor and Moore said they believe that ridership will increase further once the weather cools off.

“When it’s extremely hot, when it’s rainy, extremely cold, cancellations increase,” Moore said.

“People don’t want to get out in non-desirable weather.”

Visit https://www.kartsnc.com/ to learn more.

Rebuilding Hope Inc. ‘Kids Construction Camp’ Aug. 6-8

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There are still a few spots available for Rebuilding Hope Inc.’s Kids Construction Camp, which gives young people an opportunity to learn about tools and how to use them.

The three-day camp takes place Aug. 6-8 at Rebuilding Hope’s facility, 414 Raleigh Rd. from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, said Tom Wille, co-director of Rebuilding Hope. The camp will be capped at 30; Wille said Monday there’s space for 5 or 6 more.

The camp is free and gives youngsters in 3rd-6th grade a chance to visit a variety of stations set up to learn about hammers and nails, electrical and plumbing, as well as block laying, roofing and more.

Wille said it’s a really good thing that the children get to learn some construction skills through hands-on activities, and “they learn a little about Jesus through the Bible Study,” he added.

Parents and guardians can find the application at www.rebuildinghopeinc.org or stop by the office, 414 Raleigh Rd. and pick up a paper copy.

The stations are mock-ups of real-life applications, but don’t worry – it’s all safe. The campers will be learning how to shingle a roof, but the roof is only waist-high, Wille said.

“Everything is safe, but they get the point to see how it’s done…see the tools that are involved,” he said.

The Kids Construction Camp could be a steppingstone to another opportunity for youth that Rebuilding Hope hosts each year: Servants on Site.

This weeklong program wrapped up last week, with 114 young people and even more adult volunteers working together to replace the roof on nine different homes in Vance and Warren counties.

“We were able to take the Gospel to our world – our Jerusalem, which is right here in Vance County and a couple of surrounding counties,” Wille said.

That in and of itself is good news, he said, but the even better news is that a number of youth participants and one of the homeowners professed their love of Christ during the week.

This year’s S.O.S. theme was “Follow Me,” and Wille said the participants got a chance to witness what it’s like to help those in need.

“They’ve made lifelong friends, seen things that they would (otherwise) not see and see how it directly affects the community around them. It’s a pretty awesome thing.”

The kids worked during the hottest week of the year and got a chance to see that hard work pays off – and makes a difference. “You get this opportunity to focus on thing of importance and things that matter,” he said. “It does become clearer…there are more important things than TikTok.”

The evenings were spent at Central Baptist Church, with high-energy Christian Rock music, a worship service, devotional time and small-group discussions about the goings-on of the day.

Several kids made the altar call, he said, a tribute to the power that comes with young people coming together to serve their community in the name of Jesus.

“We can talk about Jesus all we want to, but if we’re not out there relating to them, people are not going to see it,” Wille said.

“If we don’t get out there and show that compassion, that tenderness, the forgiveness, we don’t mirror God.”

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(This story was originally published July 1, 2025.)

TownTalk: Around Old Granville – Harriet-Henderson Cotton Mill Strike of 1958

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Many folks who were born and raised in Henderson or Vance County either remember the 1958 cotton mill strike or have grown up hearing stories about it. But even the youngest mill workers during that time are in their 80’s now, so there are fewer and fewer folks still alive to tell the story of how the strike affected the community then and now, more than 60 years later.

In Thursday’s Around Old Granville segment of TownTalk, WIZS’s Bill Harris and local historian Mark Pace add some context to the events that led up to the strike, which lasted until 1961.

In 1895, brothers David Y. and John D. Cooper founded the Henderson Cotton Mill in North Henderson.

They’d made their money in the tobacco business after the Civil War ended and later set their sights on establishing a mill.

Textiles, tobacco and furniture, Pace said, were all North Carolina industries that began with a “relatively cheap raw material that you could manipulate into something much more profitable.”

The profit margins were much higher in textiles than for, say, tobacco, but it came with more risk, Pace explained.

The price and quality of the raw material, workers’ wages and overseas competition were just some of the factors that the Cooper family had to consider with the mills, which numbered three by 1913. Harriet Mills opened in South Henderson in 1909 and then Harriet Plant No. 2 opened in 1913.

“It took off like gangbusters,” Pace said. Indeed, the textile industry was not only big in Henderson, but also in the southern United States, possibly “the most important industrial endeavor in the South, even up until the 1980’s and 1990’s,” Pace said.

It was 1943 when the union first came to the Harriet and Henderson plants, he said. By this time the mills were under the leadership of John D. Cooper, Jr., who ran it until 1962, Pace said. By the time World War II ended, the U.S. found itself in the unique position of being pretty much the only textile producers left – between the devastation across Europe and civil wars in India and Pakistan, the domestic textile industry was looking good.

Harris said a post-war economic boom led to a 1949 downturn, and as other countries rebuilt and retooled, it was more difficult for the local mills to keep their equipment current.

“They were very forward thinking,” Pace said, and wanted badly to modernize the mills after World War II, but faced years long backorders as a result of post-War reconstruction.

Throw in the rise of synthetic textiles like rayon and nylon – no cotton needed – and the textile industry began to falter.

Harriet and Henderson produced thread and yarn from the raw cotton, and employed as many as 1,000 people during its peak, when it was the largest yarn manufacturer.

“Within the confines of the industry,” Pace said, the Coopers were “very innovative and forward-thinking.”

To keep the mills running despite high absenteeism, management had dozens of employees at the ready each day to fill jobs when employees didn’t show up for work, Pace said. Even if they weren’t needed inside the mill, the stand-by workers would get two hours’ pay for showing up.

“A lot of plant managers would not have put up with that,” Pace said of the often high absentee rate. “But the Coopers wanted the work force to be happy.”

Women made up half the work force, and sometimes had to take off with little or no prior notice but management tolerated it because they felt an obligation to the workers, he added.

Pace said he considers the mill strike of 1958 as one of the top two or three most important events in the history of Vance County, “right up there with Civil Rights or the coming of the railroad and the creation of the tobacco industry.”

Listen back to the entire show at www.wizs.com.

 

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Salvation Army

TownTalk: Salvation Army Power Couple Ready to Help Henderson

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With about five weeks at their new posts with the Henderson Salvation Army, Majors Jonathan and Staci Gainey say they know one thing for sure: They want to stay, set down roots and have a positive impact in the community.

“We’re looking forward to being here for a very long time,” Jonathan said on Wednesday’s TownTalk. “We have no intentions of leaving.”

The couple got their assignment from the Salvation Army’s divisional commander – they had no say in that. “But we can let the Salvation Army know that we have no interest in leaving – we plan on staying,” Jonathan said.

In these first few weeks, Staci said they’ve been learning the ropes and “figuring out where they can make the best impact in our community.”

One way is helping to stock the food pantry with shelf-stable items that are distributed to households in need. If your gardens are giving you more produce than you can use, consider dropping off veggies or other fresh items. The Salvation Army has a walk-in fridge and freezer for those things.

Jonathan, who hails from Jacksonville, FL, is the one who does the preaching, teaching and challenging and Staci is the person behind the organizing and administration of the various programs, projects and services that the Salvation Army is known for.

“Staci is very gifted in leadership and administration,” Jonathan said. “We work together but we know where our strengths are.”

As time goes on, Staci said she hopes to visit civic clubs and other organizations to develop relationships and connections as they share the news and mission with the community.

The office of the Salvation Army, located at 2292 Ross Mill Rd. in Henderson, is open Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will accept donations and requests for help during those office hours. The phone number is 252.438.7107.

The Salvation Army helps individuals with things like food, clothing, after-school care and more, but it’s also a church.

Amidst all the programs and social services aspects of the Salvation Army, Jonathan reminds the community that they’re also ordained pastors who want to nurture people’s spiritual side.

“We meet human needs in Christ’s name without discrimination,” he said.

They’re already planning for the upcoming holiday season and folks can expect to see the familiar red kettles when they’re out and about between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

They’ll be signing up volunteer bell ringers, too.

There’s plenty to do between now and then, and the Majors Gainey are already hard at work.

“We want to be a part of this community,” Staci said. “We want to know people and want for them to get to know us as well.”

Visit https://southernusa.salvationarmy.org/henderson-nc/ to learn more about how to help.

 

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TownTalk: Vance County Friday Night Football A Month Away

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The Vance County Vipers 2025-26 football season kicks off Friday, Aug. 22 with a 7 p.m. home game against non-conference opponent Warren County.

Head Coach Aaron Elliott and his staff are preparing for the upcoming season that puts them in a new conference, thanks to a huge realignment back in March by the N.C. High School Athletic Association. As part of the realignment plan, the NCHSAA expanded from 1A to 4A classification to an 8A classification. VCHS is in the 6A classification.

VCHS is one of six schools in the Northern Six conference, along with 6A Franklinton High School, and four 7A Wake County high schools: East Wake, Heritage, Knightdale and Wake Forest.

WIZS’s Scout Hughes discussed the upcoming season with SportsTalk regulars Doc Ayscue and George Hoyle on Tuesday’s TownTalk. The first game of the season is just one month away, and the trio chatted about this year’s team and the opportunities that lie ahead.

“I’m ready for some football,” Hoyle said, adding that he’s looking forward to the new season and getting off to a strong start in a new conference.

Ayscue said he’s interested in seeing new faces and new names on the field “and how they improve as year goes along – how you start and how you finish,” he said.

Hoyle said that although the team will miss some key contributors from last year, he is hopeful that the Vipers will hold their own in conference play.

The Wake County schools are newer schools, he said. “Hopefully, we’ll be right there with them,” he said of the Vipers’ competitiveness.

WIZS’s longtime game announcer Bill Harris phoned in with a question about how the lack of local teams on the schedule may affect attendance.

“With this schedule, there’s no Oxford Webb, no Louisburg, Bunn,” Harris said that would ordinarily draw local interest.

“Football is a sport that brings a lot of ‘gate,’” he said.

Indeed, J.F. Webb is not on the schedule, but the Vipers are set to play Granville County’s other high school, South Granville, in an away game on Aug. 29.

Ayscue said he hoped Webb would return to the schedule.

Both Granville County high schools are classified as 5A.

The non-conference teams included in this season’s lineup all made the playoffs last year, it was noted.

Hughes said, “Coach Elliott is trying to make them better, more prepared for the post-season” with the schedule that he’s built.

Last year’s regular-season game against Rocky Mount, for example, was a hard-fought battle that ended with a 23-22 W for the Vipers on the road.

Hughes’s prediction: Folks who follow Vance County football are going to be “very excited” about the prospects for this season.

 

 

Here’s the complete schedule for the Vance County Vipers football season:

Aug. 22 – Warren County (home)

Aug. 29 – South Granville (away)

Sept. 5 – Jordan (home – Military/First Responders Appreciation Night)

Sept. 12 – Rocky Mount (home – Homecoming)

Sept. 19 – Northeastern (away)

Oct. 3 – Wake Forest (away)

Oct. 10 – Knightdale (away)

Oct. 17 – Heritage (home – Breast Cancer Awareness Night)

Oct. 24 – East Wake (away)

Oct. 31 – Franklinton (home – Senior Night)

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TownTalk: Tyler Fleming Ready For What Comes Next

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With freshman year of college under his belt, Tyler Fleming is setting his sights on what’s next for him as he begins to think about returning to Elon University for his sophomore year.

With thoughts of a career in journalism or communications, the Henderson native and 2024 Kerr-Vance Academy graduate has spent the summer with WIZS as an intern and he’s learning first-hand what it takes to run a radio station.

He sat down with WIZS’s Scout Hughes for Monday’s TownTalk segment, and he talked about some short-term and long-term goals.

“My dream job, ambition, goal,” he said, “is to be a motorsports broadcaster.” It’s something that’s always intrigued him, Tyler said, ever since he played with toy cars as a child.

Combine that with learning about cameras, recording audio and video and editing, and he’s got the makings for any number of jobs in the field of journalism or communications.

He’s gotten to work at a local speedway in Alamance County and looks forward to continuing that relationship and strengthening networks for when he’s out of school.

Tyler said he’s gotten to do some video work with the football team through a work-study program and he’s gotten to do some other work with the Elon News Network – “some air-to-tape and a little bit of camera work,” he explained.

Another program called Fresh TV has provided him a way to learn about cameras and other equipment in the studio, learn about the school and make some good friends. They even made a short film, he said.

These skills he’s honing are very transferrable across many aspects of the communications field if the motorsports plan doesn’t pan out.

In the meantime, he’s continuing to get experience at the local speedway, adding recordings of commentaries, interviews and post-race content for his portfolio. gathering recordings from

He’d love to do a Study USA program through Elon that would take him to Charlotte for a semester to learn about sport management and NASCAR.

“In the long run, I’d love to be at a network doing either NASCAR, Indy or even stuff in Europe,” Tyler said. Broadcasting from Daytona, Indianapolis or France’s 24-hour endurance race at Le Mans would be a dream come true.
“That’s the lofty goal for now, but one step at a time,” he said.

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