Tag Archive for: #vancecountynews

Town Talk 03/12/20: Fourth Annual VCS Arts Alive! to Showcase Student Talent

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100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

Aarika Sandlin, public information officer for Vance County Schools, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Thursday at 11 a.m. Discussing upcoming district events, Sandlin said students and staff are busy preparing for VCS’ fourth annual Arts Alive! talent showcase.

Arts Alive! will be held at the McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center in downtown Henderson on Saturday, April 25, 2020. The showcase will feature VCS student talent in a variety of mediums including painting, drawing, dancing, singing and dramatic performance. All grade levels will be represented.

Parents, students, family, educators and community members are invited to view the artwork that will be on display in the McGregor Hall Gallery beginning at 3 p.m. Gallery viewing is free of charge.

New this year, a silent auction will be held to allow the public to bid on their favorite pieces of art.

In addition to the art gallery, performing acts ranging from large to small groups of vocalists, musicians, dancers and more will entertain on McGregor Hall’s stage beginning at 7 p.m.

Tickets for the Arts Alive! show are available for purchase at McGregor Hall’s box office beginning at 3 p.m. the day of the event. Tickets for adults and children are $5 each; all seating is general admission. Proceeds from the event benefit the Vance County Public School Foundation.

Returning this year will be a series of “master classes” offered in drama, art, dancing and musical instruments offered the morning of the Arts Alive! event. The classes, ranging in target age from Pre-K through 12th grade, will be offered by Hill’s Music Shoppe, Ballet Arts, Wolf Trap Education and Vance-Granville Community College. For more details on these classes, please visit VCS’ newly designed website at www.vcs.k12.nc.us.

Master classes are free of charge and are offered at McGregor Hall and across the street from the performing arts venue at First Baptist Church in Henderson.

“It’s a really exciting day for our district to come together and show what our students are capable of doing,” Sandlin said.

To hear the interview with Sandlin in its entirety, including a series of brief updates from the most recent School Board meeting, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.

Town Talk 03/11/20: Relay For Life Quarter Auction, Survivor Dinner

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

Hope Breedlove, a social worker in the Cancer Center at Maria Parham Health and a member of the Relay For Life Survivor Committee, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Wednesday at 11 a.m.

This year’s Vance County Relay For Life event will take place Friday, June 19 in downtown Henderson from 5 – 10 p.m. Relay For Life is a community event to honor cancer survivors, remember loved ones lost and fight back against a disease that has taken too much.

The Survivor Lap will take place at 6:30 p.m. and all cancer survivors are invited to participate. As a cancer survivor, you’ll be a guest of honor and cheered on by your community. Caregivers are also a major part of Relay For Life events and are honored for their support.

Quarter Auction

The Maria Parham Health Quarter Auction & March Madness Buffet fundraiser for Relay For Life will be held on Friday, March 27, 2020, at the Aycock Recreation Center (307 Carey Chapel Rd., Henderson). Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

Tickets are available for $20 per person and seating is limited to 100 attendees. The ticket price includes one paddle, buffet dinner, drink, dessert and door prize entry. Extra paddles can be purchased at the event for $5 each.

With over 100 items available for auction, including gift certificates, wreaths and televisions, Breedlove encouraged participants to bring plenty of quarters and make sure to purchase extra paddles to increase the chance of winning.

As this is a basketball-themed event, participants are encouraged to wear their favorite ACC shirt or jersey.

Tickets may be purchased by calling Kimberly Smith (252-436-1656), Hope Breedlove (252-436-1605), Amanda Wilkins (252-436-1615) or Cassidy Grissom (252-436-1544).

Survivor Dinner

The 2020 Relay For Life Survivor Dinner will be held on Friday, April 17 at 6 p.m. at South Henderson Pentecostal Holiness Church (905 Americal Rd., Henderson). Cancer survivors in Vance and surrounding counties and their guests are invited to enjoy an evening of food and entertainment.

“Cancer survivorship is defined as the moment you are diagnosed with cancer throughout the remainder of your life,” explained Breedlove. “You do not have to be in active treatment or be in remission to be a survivor. If you fit into that category, you qualify to participate in the survivor dinner.”

Survivors are welcome to bring one family member to the dinner. Please RSVP on or before April 12 by contacting Sue Cain with Relay For Life at (919) 334-5221 or sending an email to Sue.Cain@cancer.org. If leaving a voice message or sending an email, please provide the following information:

  • Your name and phone number
  • Will you bring a guest?
  • Your t-shirt size

“Your prompt RSVP will ensure we have enough food and survivor t-shirts for everyone attending,” Breedlove said. “This is always a very special event in our community and we look forward to it each year.”

Survivors, caregivers and walkers are welcome to register for June’s Relay For Life event online at www.RelayForLife.org/VanceNC or by calling 1-800-227-2345 (choose option #2 from the menu). Paper registration forms will also be available at the survivor dinner.

With additional questions regarding these Relay For Life events, please call (252) 436-1605.

To hear the interview with Breedlove in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.

 

Vance County Logo

AARP to Discuss Free Income Tax Return Service at Vance Co. Senior Center

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-Information courtesy Arline Richardson

AARP will present a tax counseling session for the elderly at 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 19, 2020, at the Vance County Senior Center in downtown Henderson.

The guest speaker will be Phyllis Hicks. Hicks will speak about the free income tax return service that she and other trained volunteers provide to the public. Refreshments will be served.

MPH Volunteer Services to Hold $5 Masquerade Sale

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-Information courtesy Lisa Radford, Volunteer Coordinator, Maria Parham Health

Volunteer Services of Maria Parham Health announces its March fundraiser. The exciting $5 Masquerade Sale will be held in the John T. Church Classroom at MPH in Henderson on Wednesday, March 25 from 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Thursday, March 26 from 7 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Come experience the frenzy…. EVERYTHING is only $5. Earrings, necklaces, rings, bracelets, watches, scarves, lunch totes, bags, umbrellas, flashlights, leggings, phone accessories and so much more. Gifts for children, men and women of all ages.

Terrell Blackmon

Town Talk 03/10/20: New Henderson City Manager Edward ‘Terrell’ Blackmon

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

Edward “Terrell” Blackmon, Henderson’s new city manager, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Tuesday at 11 a.m.

A native of Smithfield, and now a resident of Henderson, Blackmon brings over 25 years of economic development experience gained in various planning positions in Monroe, Raleigh, Garner and Tarboro, NC.

Blackmon received his MBA from Montreat College and his undergraduate degree in political science from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He is also a licensed real estate broker in North and South Carolina, in addition to being recognized as a certified housing development finance professional by the National Development Council.

He is married to the former Akenna Vaught of Lenoir, NC and they have two adult sons: Edward Terrell Blackmon, II and Robert Kennan Blackmon.

Blackmon said it was the area’s potential and the “hard sell” of the Henderson City Council that ultimately led him to the decision to call Henderson home. “I saw Henderson as a great opportunity for me personally and professionally. The City Council really sold me on the potential of the community; there’s a lot of opportunities for this community to grow.”

Arriving a few weeks prior to the official retirement of Henderson City Manager Frank Frazier on January 31, Blackmon said he was fortunate to have Frazier, a 35-year City veteran, available in the transition period.

“I can’t say enough how helpful he [Frazier] was during that period of time, and still makes himself available now,” said Blackmon. “The City Council, Mayor Ellington and Frank all did an excellent job of developing a plan to help make my transition here as city manager a little easier.”

In discussing areas of focus moving forward, Blackmon said officials are working on reestablishing Henderson as a designated Main Street City, enforcing residential and commercial codes, planning larger-scale redevelopment projects, identifying ways to attract private investment and expanding the Kerr Lake Regional Water System (KLRWS).

A 60-percent majority partner of the KLRWS (other partners include the City of Oxford and Warren County), Henderson City Council members approved a rate structure at their Monday meeting that would allow the city to upgrade the water output from 10 million to 20 million gallons a day, Blackmon reported.

Explaining that the KLRWS provides water to other municipalities and county systems in the four-county region, Blackmon said the expanded output would ‘increase the capacity to sell water to our customers, improve our water quality and allow the City to set rates and keep rates affordable for the citizens of Henderson.”

Impressed with the way the various entities have worked together on the KLRWS, Blackmon said he is happy to report a similar “collaborative spirit” in his dealings thus far with both City of Henderson and Vance County officials.

“I am already meeting and working with City and County officials on strategies that will hopefully benefit not just the City of Henderson but benefit all of Vance County,” said Blackmon. “We definitely want to be a partner with the County as it relates to economic development. The City has a lot of value that we can add to the economic development conversation as we are looking to create more jobs, retain the industries we do have and try to attract new industries to our community.”

To hear the interview with Blackmon in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.

H-V Chamber Logo

H-V Chamber Seeks Nominees for 2020 Small Business of the Year Award

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-Information courtesy the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce

The Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce is looking for nominees for the 2020 Small Business of the Year. This is your opportunity to recognize an outstanding business in the small business community.

You are encouraged to nominate chamber member businesses that are deserving of this recognition.

 2020 Small Business of the Year Criteria:

  • Employs a maximum of 50 people
  • Member of the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce and must be located in Vance County
  • Must be a viable, on-going business for three or more years, experiencing growth or stability over its business life
  • Provides critical service or products, fills a void in the business community, or has a unique approach to the delivery of goods and services
  • May have overcome diverse or extraordinary circumstances to remain in business
  • Business is supportive of community growth and sustainability
  • Is not a governmental agency or municipality

Anyone can nominate a business they believe deserves recognition and meets the criteria. Companies may also nominate themselves.

All nominated companies will be required to submit a written application and return it to the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, April 17, 2020, to be considered. All applications are confidential.

For a nomination form or if you have questions, please email michele@hendersonvance.org or call the H-V Chamber at (252) 438-8414.

U.S. Department of Justice

Henderson Man Involved in Shooting Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison

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-Press Release, U.S. Department of Justice

United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that today in federal court, Senior United States District Judge Malcolm J. Howard sentenced QUINDARIUS DANTE RAINEY, 30, of Henderson to seven years imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.

RAINEY was named in an Indictment filed on July 31, 2019, charging him with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. On November 12, 2019, RAINEY pled guilty to that charge.

According to the investigation, during the early morning hours of August 26, 2018, RAINEY was captured on video surveillance shooting a handgun with an extended magazine multiple times at another man. The shooting occurred in the parking lot of the 85 Bar & Lounge in Henderson.

The victim attempted to flee and RAINEY continued to shoot at the man while chasing him. RAINEY then entered his vehicle and fled the scene. The victim was not injured, but several nearby businesses and cars sustained property damage.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Since 2017, the United States Department of Justice has reinvigorated the PSN program and has targeted violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

That effort has been implemented through the Take Back North Carolina Initiative of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices in those communities on a sustained basis to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.

The Henderson Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Robert J. Dodson and John Parris prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.

Vance Co. Schools Continues Support of Decades-Long Leandro Case

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-Information courtesy Vance County Schools

At the Vance County Board of Education meeting held on March 9, Vance County Schools Superintendent Dr. Anthony Jackson addressed the on-going Leandro Case.

What is Leandro? In 1994, families from five low-wealth counties (Hoke, Halifax, Robeson, Vance, and Cumberland) claimed that North Carolina was not providing students with the same educational opportunities as those in higher-income districts, at which time the court case began and is still ongoing.

Both sides agreed in 2017 to have an independent consultant come in to make recommendations, unveiling the WestEd report.

Dr. Jackson shared the WestEd Leandro Report that gave eight recommendations for a sound, basic education for children. 1) Revise the state funding model to provide adequate, efficient, and equitable resources, 2) Provide a qualified, well-prepared, and diverse teaching staff in every school 3) Provide a qualified and well-prepared principal in every school, 4) Provide all at-risk students with the opportunity to attend high-quality early childhood programs 5) Direct resources, opportunities, and initiatives to economically disadvantaged students 6) Revise the student assessment system and school accountability system 7) Build an effective regional and statewide system of support for the improvement of low-performing and high-poverty schools 8) Convene an expert panel to assist the Court in monitoring state policies, plans programs, and progress.

The Vance County Board of Education indicated unanimously they support this cause and the district will continue to follow the decades-long case as it continues in court.

For more information on the case, please visit the Public School Forum of North Carolina website at www.ncforum.org/leandro/.

Vipers Name Campbell Head Football Coach; Meet & Greet Scheduled March 12

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-Press Release, Vance County High School

The Vance County Board of Education has approved Edwin J. Campbell, Jr. as the new head football coach at Vance County High School.

Coach Campbell comes to Vance County with an impressive football background. A Raleigh native, Campbell attended Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School, where he was a standout varsity defensive back and team captain. Campbell also played college football at Elizabeth City State University before earning his degree at Winston-Salem State University.

Campbell later returned to Southeast Raleigh as the varsity defensive coordinator, marking the beginning of his coaching career. Since then, Campbell has coached for several of North Carolina’s most elite football programs, holding positions such as interim head coach, assistant head coach, defensive coordinator, and special teams coordinator.

Most recently, Campbell was an assistant coach for 3-time state champion Wake Forest High School under Head Coach Reggie Lucas. The Cougars finished the 2019 season 12-2 overall, losing in the 4AA Eastern Regional Final. Prior to his stint at Wake Forest, Campbell helped lead Zebulon B. Vance High School of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to two 4AA Western Regional Finals.

In 2018, as assistant head coach and defensive backs coach, Campbell was instrumental in helping Zebulon B. Vance reach its first-ever state championship game. Following the departure of Zebulon B. Vance Head Coach Aaron Brand, Coach Campbell also became the interim head coach at Zebulon B. Vance.

Campbell has also held coordinator positions with varsity football teams at East Wake and Leesville Road high schools in the Wake County Public School System.

“We took our time and did our due diligence while searching for our new head football coach,” Athletic Director Joe Sharrow said of the coaching search. “We ultimately believe that Coach Campbell is uniquely equipped with the experience and expertise that makes him the right fit for our school and what we needed at this time. I am fully confident in his ability to benefit the lives of our student-athletes and be an extremely successful coach for us.”

Campbell will replace Darry Ragland, who resigned in January after leading the Vipers to a 13-10 record over two seasons. The Vipers graduated seventeen seniors and are expecting many new contributors at key positions.

“I am excited and appreciative that Principal Rey Horner and Athletic Director Joe Sharrow have put their trust in me to lead the Vance County Vipers football program,” Campbell said in a statement. “I look forward to meeting the players and guiding them, not only to be their best on the football field but also their best in this community as great examples of how positive young men conduct themselves.” Campbell continued, “I am confident that by leading a team with the right attitude, structure, and the support of the community, we will build a football program that will make Vance County proud.”

Vance County High School will introduce Coach Campbell, wife Chernessa Campbell, and son Edwin J. Campbell III (Tre) at a community meet and greet on Thursday, March 12 at 6 p.m. in the cafeteria. All community members, current and former players, parents, fans, media, and anyone interested in Viper Football are encouraged to attend.

The Vipers will open the 2020 football season on the road at Bunn High School on August 21. They will play their first game at home the following week in the County Line Clash against Warren County High School on August 28.

Maria Parham Health

Maria Parham Health Prepared for Coronavirus; No Reported Cases to Date

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

-Press Release, Maria Parham Health

Maria Parham Health is committed to providing the highest quality care and ensuring the safety of our patients, employees, providers, volunteers and visitors. We are continuing to work closely with Granville Vance Public Health and following guidance from the NC Department of Health & Human Services (NCDHHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to ensure our hospital is prepared with the appropriate plans to detect, protect and respond should anyone in our community contract or be exposed to the novel coronavirus (COVID–19).

Additionally, we are reviewing our facility’s robust emergency operations plan and proactively completing a number of preparation checklists out of an abundance of caution.

While we have not evaluated OR treated any patients with this virus at our hospital to date, Maria Parham Health has taken the following measures to prepare, in accordance with CDC guidelines:

• Patients in the Emergency Department and inpatient units are screened based on their recent travel history.
• Personal protective equipment, including face masks, is being stored and managed appropriately based on the risk of exposure or infection.
• Hand hygiene products are easily accessible throughout the facility.

Importantly, all of the above are standard operating protocols that are in place year-round to help ensure the health and well-being of everyone who enters our hospital.

We want to assure our community that our providers and clinical teams are well-trained and prepared to manage outbreaks of viruses and infectious diseases, including the coronavirus.

For more information, contact Granville Vance Public Health or visit the NCDHHS website at www.ncdhhs.gov and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at www.cdc.gov.