Tag Archive for: #towntalk

TownTalk: Low-ABV Spirits in NC

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Visitors to the Outer Banks can experience the convenience and novelty of any one of five Brew Thru locations in the area, delighting in the fact that they can drive their Jeeps, SUVs and other vehicles literally through the store to pick up cold drinks from sodas to beer and more.

As Philip Foreman, the company president and owner, prepares to celebrate 50 years of Brew Thru next year, he said he’d like to be able to add some spirits-based ready-to-drink beverages to his coolers for folks to pick up instead of having to make a special trip to the ABC store.

It seems that many people are looking for seltzer-based beverages that contain spirits like vodka, not malt-based.

These beverages often have fewer calories and a lower alcohol content, but it’s the wrong kind of alcohol – spirits can only be sold in the state’s ABC stores.

“These canned cocktails are not hard liquor,” he explained, and he wants to be able to add them to the products that he can legally sell.

Foreman said he’s excited about the 50-year anniversary coming up, and he thinks it’s only fair that these ready-to-drink products find themselves on Brew Thru shelves along with their other choices, which range from beverages to t-shirts and other merchandise.

“Everybody comes through for the first time and then they’re hooked,” he said in a recent interview. “It’s a fun way to shop,” he said. “We work really hard to make sure our employees are super friendly – it’s an experience going to a Brew Thru versus going to a store.”

Foreman is advocating for passage of a bill which would allow these RTDs to be sold in retail locations and not just at ABC stores.

N.C. District 32 Rep. Bryan Cohn told WIZS that House Bill 921 would allow retailers who are licensed to sell beer and wine to carry canned cocktails that could contain up to 9.9 percent ABV, but that bill has not cleared the full House. The Senate’s version – Senate Bill 198 – does not include retail RTD access, Cohn said, but both bills remain active.

According to Cohn, State Sen. Tim Moffitt (R-Dist. 48) has said publicly that if the House bill clears, the Senate will take it up. “Until that happens, nothing changes,” Cohn said.

Moffit told NC Newsline (see link here) and reporter/writer Brandon Kingdollar of the publication in a Tuesday story (link here), “The Senate’s approach to alcohol legislation this biennium was more of a technical corrections type of bill where we were working directly with the ABC Commission on some of the hurdles that a lot of our ABC permittees have to deal with.” Sen. Moffitt told NC Newsline, “If the House can get their bill over to the Senate, then the Senate will consider it.”

Senate Bill 198 and House Bill 921 haven’t been passed yet and seem to be somewhat stuck. There’s some wording that has to be refined, Foreman said, but he’s hopeful that the omnibus bills will pass.

He said he’s not trying to take any business away from the ABC stores; rather, he contends that the drinks should be more accessible and convenient to purchase.

North Carolina is one of 17 states that emerged from the Prohibition era with controls over the sale of spirits. Of those 17 states, 12 already have revised their laws to allow for a low-beverage spirit-based RTD to be sold in retail outlets. And Foreman wants to add North Carolina to that list.

“That’s not fair,” Foreman said. “I just want to be treated fairly. It’s not only me upset about this.”

“It’s not getting rid of the ABC system,” Foreman said. “I’m just against controlled states competing with taxpaying retailers on a low alcohol beverage cocktail.”

Nothing in the bills change the way the alcohol is regulated – that part remains the same, he explained. But it would allow for wholesalers to deliver RTDs to restaurants and retail outlets along with the wine and beer they currently put on their trucks and which often have a higher ABV than the canned cocktails.

(This is not a paid ad. The text above and audio below explore social, business and legislative issues in NC. This is not a promotion of any kind or for alcohol consumption. “TownTalk” is a public affairs presentation of WIZS News.)

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TownTalk: Bee Jubilee Coming to Granville Expo Center June 27

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The 10th annual Bee Jubilee coming up in Granville County on Saturday, June 27 is the perfect chance to ask all those questions that you’ve been wondering about: Does that beekeeper suit really protect you from stings? Exactly what is a varroa mite? Where can I get some mead?

Christi Henthorn, one of the event planners and organizers, can probably help answer those questions – and more.

The daylong Bee Jubilee will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Granville County Convention & Expo Center in Oxford with plenty of fun, food, info and more.

“We’ve grown so much,” Henthorn told WIZS. “It’s really awesome to think back and see the way we’ve added things and changed things and grown.” Like previous events, the 2026 Bee Jubilee features honey, arts, crafts, bee products and supplies, demonstrations, a live raffle, food trucks and a raffle for free honey for a year.

Late June in the Piedmont is most likely going to be warm, and Henthorn said this year, planners decided to move the sound stage to the northern end of the Expo Center to take advantage of shade provided by a nearby tree line.

Henthorn said the Bee Jubilee simply wouldn’t be possible without help from local beekeepers, who volunteer to put on this labor of love – which includes a fair amount of sweat, too, because, well, it’s June in the Piedmont.

A group of beekeepers is going to set up an ‘Ask the Beekeeper’ workshop for curious participants, she said, and will be available to answer questions from the comfort of their rocking chairs.

Another local bee expert is going to be available to educate the public about how to manage swarms of bees that find their way into unlikely places like buildings and homes.

Last year, people came from as far as several hours away to see what the Bee Jubilee was all about. Thanks to a partnership with the Granville Tourism Department, organizers got a grant for advertising that really paid off – attendance swelled from 2,500 to more than 4,000.

Whether you’re a real bee enthusiast or you just like honey, the Bee Jubilee has something for you, Henthorn said.

Check out the Bee Jubilee at https://granvillecobeekeepers.wildapricot.org/BEE-JUBILEE or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/beejubilee/.

Join the Granville Beekeepers Association, which meets on the first Thursday of the month. Visit https://granvillecobeekeepers.wildapricot.org/ to learn more.

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(This story was originally published June 8, 2026.)

TownTalk: America 250 Events Calendar for Vance County

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Celebrating the country’s 250th birthday adds an extra layer of excitement to the annual July 4 festivities being planned in the area, and Henderson-Vance Economic Development Director Ferdinand Rouse is joining forces with other local community leaders to make sure the celebration is one for the books.

Stay informed about a variety of events and activities in the area by checking out a calendar of events at perrylibrary.org/americas-250/a250-community-calendar or vancecountyedc.com (then scroll to the bottom). Find out about what’s happening in the area through the summer.

Rouse said he’s grateful for community partners who are teaming up to make sure events like the July fireworks at Satterwhite Point, for example, go off without a hitch. The annual fireworks display takes place on Friday, July 3. Remember there’s a $10 a car fee to enter the state park area. Alcohol is not allowed. But there will be plenty of fun, food, music and more, Rouse said.

Planning activities as part of the America 250 celebration has truly been a partnership, Rouse explained.

“It’s always great to have people who have passion for the community…that know the history and can help spread that information out to the general public,” Rouse said.

This kind of collaboration also serves to bolster economic development, he said, adding that it’s a crucial part of the social fabric that shows community pride.

“It helps folks understand that if you come to Vance County, you’re coming in to a community that believes in being part of the history of America…it’s important,” Rouse said.

If you would like to learn more and hear about the America 250 Committee process and calendar, Click Play!

TownTalk: Edmonds Tennis and Education Foundation $1k Scholarships/Mentors

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On Saturday, June 13, the Edmonds Tennis and Education Foundation celebrated its scholarship recipients and honored its donors with an evening of outdoor dining.

Edmonds Tennis and Education Foundation (ETEF) goes beyond traditional youth programs by integrating tennis, education and nutrition to provide a more holistic approach to development here in rural North Carolina.

Not only is a scholarship recipient better off financially for their next step, by being in ETEF they have a permanent home base of mentors and are particularly paired up with a mentor for their first year after graduation.

Since forming as a non-profit in 2018, over 3,000 students have participated in ETEF tennis and education programs.

President Dr. Jerry Edmonds told WIZS, “This past Saturday, due to generous private donations, ETEF awarded academic scholarships of $1,000 each to six college bound area high school graduates.”

He said, “The biggest takeaway was the amazing accomplishments of the six students and their future aspirations to serve others through careers including Nursing, Law, STEM and Ministry.”

Keynote speaker Kelly Gaines, executive director of the NC Tennis Association (USTA North Carolina) delivered an inspiring speech, according to Edmonds, highlighting the importance of mentorship throughout one’s career. Kelly encouraged the students to begin forming their personal board of directors, consisting of experienced leaders who can help them navigate their careers.

This past Friday, June 12, the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce presented its most recent Member Spotlight to ETEF and President and Founders Dr. Jerry Edmonds and spouse Dorcel Edmonds. The Chamber said, “Through tennis, students learn discipline, perseverance, teamwork, and confidence—skills that extend far beyond the court. By pairing athletic opportunities with educational support and character-building experiences, the Foundation helps youth unlock their full potential, pursue their goals, and become leaders in their communities.”

Edmonds Tennis offers tennis clinics for beginners as well as intermediate and advanced training.

For youth tennis camps or to learn more, visit www.edmondstennis.org or call (833) 751-5400.

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TownTalk: Henderson City Council Emergency Meeting Wednesday Regarding City Manager

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Editor’s Note: “The City of Henderson and The City Council and Staff” TownTalk broadcast was added June 11 just below. Click Play to listen. The written report of the City’s emergency meeting follows the audio and was posted June 10, 2026.

When the Henderson City Council met Wednesday to hold an emergency meeting, it took formal action regarding the city manager’s employment, and that action came in three parts based ultimately on three separate motions made by Mayor Pro Tem Tami Walker.

The employment contract for City Manager Paylor Spruill was terminated. Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Department Director Kendrick Vann, who has been an assistant to the city manager, was made interim city manager until the city can find a permanent manager. The assistant to the city manager position that Vann had been occupying was eliminated.

With all eight members of the City Council present, the board took action to, as City Attorney Dan Hertzog put it, memorialize the action which stemmed from Monday night’s closed session.

In the matter of ending Spruill’s contract, the council voted 4 to 4, with the tie broken by Mayor Melissa Elliott to end the contract. Similarly, the council voted 4 to 4 to appoint Vann as the interim manager, with Mayor Elliott casting the tie breaking vote in favor of Vann holding the position. As to the matter of Vann’s previous position of assistant to the city manager, the vote was unanimous to eliminate the position.

Overall, the proceedings were necessarily formal to protect the release of any personnel information. It also became necessary for the council to go into a closed session for about 20 minutes.

The net result of the meeting is virtually the same as what members of the community have been talking about for several days.

Voting for Walker’s motion to end Spruill’s contract, which was seconded by Geraldine Champion, were Champion, Michael Venable, Catherine Gill and Walker. Voting against the motion to end Spruill’s contract were Sam Seifert, Kenia Gomez-Jimenez, Lamont Noel and Garry Daeke.

Voting for Walker’s motion to appoint Vann as interim manager until a permanent manager is selected, which was seconded by Venable, included Champion, Venable, Gill and Walker. Voting against the motion to appoint Vann as interim manager were Gomez-Jimenez, Noel, Seifert and Daeke.

To open the proceedings, Hertzog said, “So at the last meeting we had a closed session discussion, which I cannot reveal the closed session discussion, but pursuant to general statute … any final action on a personnel matter needs to be taken in open session.

“So we will need to vote consistent … with the board’s discussion on Monday night. That needs to be memorialized in a vote in open session. So that’s why we’re here today.”

The council went through the necessary steps to get its wording right and to hear and vote on the correct motions to accomplish the task at hand, which at one point included withdrawing a single, initial motion and breaking it into three parts so the result was clean and clear.

Click Play if you would like to hear more WIZS Radio coverage of the City Council and the budget from before the meeting.

TownTalk: Juneteenth Festival Coming to Downtown Henderson

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Who: Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks

What: Juneteenth Festival

When: Saturday, June 13, 2026

Where: Vance County Courthouse Square from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. and the fireworks show at dusk at Fox Pond Park

Additional Details: The festival is the 6th annual event here. It includes music, food trucks, vendors, bingo, games for kids, a raffle and live performances downtown. And for the fireworks show at Fox Pond, there is a shuttle starting at 7 p.m.

Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 – June 19, 1865 – when Union troops reached Galveston, TX and announced the news to the last enslaved people in the country.

The Civil War had ended, the Emancipation Proclamation issued and Union troops traveled widely throughout the Confederacy spreading the word that slavery was over and enslaved people were free.

But that news didn’t make it to Texas until June 19, 1865 – hence the name Juneteenth.

Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021.

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TownTalk: Pearls, Tea, & Wellness Coming to Henderson

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Who: S!STERS SPEAK LIFE

What: Pearls, Tea and Wellness

When: Saturday, June 13, 2026 from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Where: Center For Innovation, 219 Charles Street, Entrance 3

Additional Details: Call 252-204-8435 or visit Sistersspeaklife on Facebook as this free community event requires pre-registration. You can also email sistersspeaklife@gmail.com.

Freddie Ann Harris, founder and CEO, told WIZS, “This free community gathering will provide encouragement, wellness information, fellowship, and awareness for survivors, caregivers, and supporters.”

Harris, a two-time cancer survivor, has hosted numerous events in this community to provide access to free mammograms.

Expect tea, brunch and fellowship along with wellness conversations, laughter is like medicine, info on understanding swelling after treatment, survivorship encouragement and “The Pearl Moment – Honoring You.”

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TownTalk: Henderson City Council Voted, Approved Motion NOT To Pass Budget

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Despite previously reaching a consensus to adopt the FY 26-27 budget, the Henderson City Council on Monday night heard, duly seconded and passed a motion NOT to pass the budget.

Mayor Melissa Elliott voted yes, to not pass the budget, in order to break a 4-4 tie otherwise.

The motion to not pass the budget was made by Geraldine Champion and seconded by Catherine Gill at the regular June 8 monthly meeting.

Champion said she could not approve the budget the way it looks.

Members who voted in favor of not passing the budget included Champion, Gill, Mayor Pro Tem Tami Walker, and Michael Venable.

Members who voted against the motion were Garry Daeke, Kenia Gomez-Jimenez, Lamont Noel and Sam Seifert.

The City Attorney reminded that a budget needed to be passed, and the City Manager suggested a special called meeting. The date and time of that special called meeting has not been announced, and it will require at least a 48-hour notice be made to the public.

Champion used an analogy to make the trimming of the budget akin to cutting down a tree, and she took issue with “starting at the bottom,” near the root. In Champion’s analogy the money to be cut, the big money, was at the top of the tree.

She said very rarely does a person start at the root with cutting because it’s going to fall and cause damage.

“That’s what I see that happened in this particular budget. You started at the bottom. You’re trying to cut a $22,000 a year job, but you didn’t go to the top of the tree. And at the very top of that tree is where the tremendous amount of money is.”

The big money Champion is talking about is cuts to staffing.

“It’s just my opinion that some of those departments don’t need all those people,” she said, citing, “That’s just my opinion. I don’t work there. I’m not the expert on that.”

The $22,000 a year job, referred to by Champion, is in her analogy down at the root, important, and that job is the position of Assistant to the Mayor.

Champion said of Finance Director Joey Fuqua, “Yes. You have been thorough with what you’ve done. You’ve said everything you need to say.”

Gomez-Jimenez said after Fuqua reviewed the timeline, including strategies to save throughout FY 26-27, it’s “not a feel-good budget but a culmination of paths to this point.” She spoke of an opportunity to improve the City’s organization and told Fuqua, “You have produced a good budget.”

On May 11, 2026 the FY 26-27, a balanced recommended budget was presented to the City Council followed by two budget work sessions on May 12 and May 14, a public hearing on May 21 and a final work session on May 28.

To hear more, including audio from the June 8 regular monthly meeting, please click play!

TownTalk: Around Old Granville – The Ingleside Community

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Most anyone traveling the stretch of N.C. 39 between Henderson and Louisburg probably passes through the unincorporated community of Ingleside with little fanfare, but this general area holds on to some interesting history since it was first established in the decades before the Civil War.

Leave it to local history sleuths Bill Harris and Mark Pace to come up with some tidbits worthy of mention about this northern Franklin County crossroads in the most recent segment of Around Old Granville.

Ingleside was originally known as Macon, Pace said. There was a post office there from 1830-1834, but perhaps to avoid confusion with the other Macon post office in what is now Warren County, the name was changed to Ingleside and remained open until August 1907.

That may have been the reason to change the name, but why was the name Ingleside chosen? Well, there was a home with that name in the vicinity at the time owned by the Littlejohn family from Granville County. It was located about a half mile from the present-day intersection of N.C. 39 and U.S. 401.

It had a similar fate of many other homes of that period – it burned in the 1920’s.

Another home called Monreath is located near Ingleside. This home was built in the late 1770’s and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

There’s also Locust Grove, Harris said, which is a great example of Georgian-style architecture that dates possibly from the 1760’s. Although there’s some speculation that the home has been moved from its original location, not everyone’s on board with that theory. Some point to the discovery of Roman numerals notched on the home’s structural beams as evidence that the house had been disassembled – the numerals would have indicated how the house would be put back together.

“That’s a big house to move, back in the day – and a long ways,” Pace said. Regardless, the home certainly has been around since at least 1790 and was originally owned by Thomas Bell.

“It’s an absolutely gorgeous, gorgeous house,” Harris said.

The property eventually was sold to John Haywood, who served as the state’s treasurer from 1787 until he died in 1827. It was sold to Peter Foster of Gloucester County, VA., one of Harris’s ancestors.

Locust Grove provided room and board to some students of nearby Mt. Welcome Academy in the early 1800’s. According to an 1828 ad, students could stay for $36 a session.

A grandson of Peter Foster was Fenton Garland Foster, an inventor who is credited with a typesetting machine that basically is the forerunner of the typewriter.

Foster had a falling-out with his grandmother, and she kicked him out of the house for not paying rent. He moved to Connecticut and got in on the ground floor with a newish company called Sperry Rand and ended up losing the rights to all his patents.

There are a few more homes in the general area with names that end in Grove – there’s Maple Grove, Elm Grove and Oak Grove, the name of the home where Harris lives.

Oak Grove was built by a son of Peter Foster, Dr. Peter Stapleton Foster. The good doc, born in 1823, built the home in the 1850’s, Harris said. And the house has stayed in the family since its construction.

It is scheduled for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places, fingers crossed, by next week, the proud owner stated.

Just down the road from Oak Grove is Traveler’s Rest, a tiny building that, as the name implied, offered respite from the road for stagecoach passengers.

“It’s one of the most iconic structures” in the area, Pace said.

Right near Ingleside is Rocky Ford, where a structure known simply as the “little stone house” or the “little rock house” stands.

They don’t know much about its history, but there are some theories floating around that it could have been a place where people would have taken refuge if they feared trouble from the Native Americans living close. Another theory has it being a mental institution.

It’s left experts and architectural survey professionals stumped, Pace said. “Nobody really knows what it was used for…it’s just an enigma.”

There’s a lot more to learn about Ingleside and the surrounding area – listen back to the complete conversation on Thursday’s Around Old Granville segment of TownTalk.

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TownTalk: What If Vance County Had A Data Center?

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For the past few months, county residents have spoken up to express their opposition to data centers.

They’ve signed up to speak during the public comment portion of regular monthly Vance County Board of Commissioners meetings.

They’ve been vocal on social media, offering opinions and posting information about all the bad stuff that happens in communities where data centers are located.

And multiple speakers at Monday’s commissioners meeting called on the board to establish a moratorium on data center development.

Commissioner Valencia Perry asked the board to think about a moratorium. “May I speak about what they’re talking about?” she asked Chair Carolyn Faines. “’Cause evidently they ain’t going nowhere,” which got a round of applause from the audience.

County Manager Renee Perry recommended that commissioners discuss researching a data center moratorium at its next work session.

To recap, the Vance County Planning Board recommended in April that about 40 acres along U.S. Hwy 158 be rezoned from EIA – Employment Institutional Area – to Light Industrial.

There currently are no plans for development of the property under discussion, but, because a name on the rezoning request included a name associated with a Maryland-based data center developer, residents concluded that the site would be the site of a data center in the future.

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