Tag Archive for: #vancecountynews

Curtis Brame Sworn In as Sheriff of Vance County

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(Audio of the entire swearing in ceremony, except the portion for deputies and other staff, can be heard by clicking here.  Sheriff Brame’s first remarks as Sheriff of Vance County are at the end.)

(Video of Sheriff Brame being sworn in and outgoing Sheriff White’s final remarks can be seen at facebook.com/wizsradio and by clicking here.)

Earlier today at the Vance County Courthouse, in a Superior Court Room filled with family, staff and community members, Curtis R. Brame was sworn in as Vance County’s newest sheriff.

Brame, who began his law enforcement career in 1983 as a Vance County deputy sheriff, has worked with three long-serving administrators, including Tommy McGhee, Thomas Breedlove and Peter White.

After a “long” campaign that saw him face-off in May’s primary against two fellow democratic candidates before facing Republican Charles Pulley and unaffiliated candidate Allen Simmons in November’s General Election, Brame was more than happy to celebrate his victory. “It’s been a journey,” said Brame. “This is a day to rejoice and we shall be glad.”

In a ceremony presided over by the Honorable J. Henry Banks, attendees were welcomed by Captain Weldon Bullock and received the Invocation from the Rev. Joann Kittrell.

Remarks were made by Attorney Paul Jerry Stainback, Rev. Dr. Walter Melvin Brame, Rev. Audrey Davis, Brame’s sister and Patrice Brame, Brame’s wife.

Clerk of Superior Court Henry Lee Gupton administered the public oath of office to Brame. Upon completion, Brame was congratulated by Gupton and received a standing ovation from those in attendance.

In addition, an oath was administered to deputies, detention officers and the civilian staff of the Vance County Sheriff’s Office.

In his first official remarks as sheriff, Brame expressed his gratitude for the leadership of Sheriff Peter White and his pastor, Opie Terrell of Nutbush Baptist Church. He specifically thanked White and wife Gloria for their encouragement and support during his campaign.

Brame also addressed the need for unity and communication in the community and promised that he and his staff would have an open-door policy on listening to the concerns of citizens. “Let’s take back our community so our schools can be safe, neighborhoods can be safe and churches can be safe,” Brame said.

Closing remarks were made by Sheriff White who praised Brame’s work ethic. “I’ve known this young man for a long time and I know his work ethic is second to none,” White said. “This guy is work, but most of all, he has a heart for people. I believe his work ethic and his faith brought him to this position.”

“Vance County could not have done any better.”

Following White’s remarks, a benediction was led by Pastor Terrell. A reception followed in the courthouse’s multipurpose room.

Participate in the 2019 Vance Co. Polar Plunge and be ‘Freezin’ For A Reason’

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-Information and flyer courtesy Tara Goolsby, Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Facilities Supervisor, Aycock Recreation Center

The Vance County Special Olympics 2019 Polar Plunge will be held at the Satterwhite Point Glasshouse on Saturday, February 2, 2019. Check-in will begin at 9:30 a.m. that morning; jump begins at 10:30 a.m. Inclement weather date will be Saturday, February 9, 2019.

The Polar Plunge is an event for courageous participants willing to jump into Kerr Lake in the middle of the winter, all to support and raise funds for the Special Olympics of Vance County.

The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with others.

All donations earned from the Polar Plunge will go to support local athletes. Individuals are required to collect a minimum of $30 to participate.

Prizes will be given for best costume (individual and team); most money raised (individual and team); and largest team.

Every participant will receive a t-shirt. There is a limit of 250 participants.

Registration forms, along with donations, are due by Friday, January 4, 2019, to Crystal Allen at the Aycock Rec. Center. For more information on the Polar Plunge and the registration form, please contact Crystal Allen at (252) 431-6091 or by email at callen@ci.henderson.nc.us

 

Faith Dove

Greater Ransom Way of the Cross to Serve Free Community Christmas Breakfast

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-Information courtesy Laura Thomas, Greater Ransom Way of the Cross Temple 

You are invited to a free Community Christmas Breakfast sponsored through the Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen of Greater Ransom Way of the Cross Temple. Come and bring the family, a neighbor or a friend for a delicious hot breakfast on Saturday, December 15, 2018. Breakfast will be held from 9 to 11 a.m.

Pre-packed food bags containing non-perishable canned and dry goods will also be distributed – one bag per household. Intake process will be required to receive a food bag. The goal is to show God’s love to those in need.

The church is located at 90 South Lake Lodge Extension, off US 1 South, in Henderson. Call 252-492-1824 for more information.

H-V Rec. & Parks Youth Basketball Wait List Registration Deadline – Sat., Dec. 15

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-Information and flyer courtesy Tara Goolsby, Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Facilities Supervisor, Aycock Recreation Center

Those interested in participating in youth basketball with the Henderson-Vance Recreation & Parks Department have until Saturday, December 15, 2018, to register.

Leagues will include:

Boys and Girls Mighty Mite League – Ages 4-6

Boys Pee Wee, Midget, Junior and Senior Leagues – Ages 7-18

Girls Pee Wee, Midget Leagues – Ages 7-14

Ages are determined by January 1, 2019.

Cost to cover registration and insurance includes:

$40 for in-county residents

$30 for those who played baseball, softball, soccer, volleyball or football in the 2018 season

$60 for out-of-county residents

For more information, please contact Steve Osborne at (252) 438-2670; sosborne@ci.henderson.nc.us or Victor Hunt at (252) 438-3408; vhunt@ci.henderson.nc.us

(This is not a paid advertisement)

NC Dept of Agriculture

Vance and Warren Counties May be Eligible for Agricultural Disaster Assistance

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-Press Release, N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Farmers with damage from Tropical Storm Michael may be eligible for disaster assistance from the Hurricane Florence Agricultural Disaster Program of 2018. The $240 million bill approved today by the N.C. General Assembly would help farmers with storm damage and agricultural losses from both Hurricane Florence and Tropical Storm Michael.

The program will directly assist farmers who suffered losses to commodities planted but not harvested before Sept. 13, 2018, and livestock. The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will administer the program.

“With only two weeks left in the sign-up period, farmers cannot afford to wait to sign up for assistance,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “The application process takes about 30 minutes per farm and assistance is available through N.C. Cooperative Extension and the NCDA&CS disaster hotline at 1-866-6459403.”

The seven additional counties pending a federal disaster declaration include Avery, Vance, Wake, Warren, Washington, Watauga and Yadkin counties. With this addition, 61 of the state’s 100 counties would have received either a primary Presidential or Secretarial-disaster declaration.

“Both Hurricane Florence and Tropical Storm Michael had significant impacts to agriculture,” said Troxler. “Without this immediate assistance, it will be difficult for many farmers to continue operations.”

Initial estimates for crop damage and livestock losses to North Carolina’s agriculture industry from Hurricane Florence are estimated at $1.1 billion.

To be eligible for assistance, farmers must sign up online by the Dec. 10 deadline. For more information, visit www.ncagr.gov/agriculturaldisasterprogram.

First of Six ‘Future Focus’ Sessions Held at AdVance Academy

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-Press Release, Vance County Schools

The first of six “Future Focus” sessions for juniors and seniors at AdVance Academy was held on November 28, with Dr. James Hunter, a certified counselor with Vance County Schools, as the featured speaker.

LaShawn Hawley, career placement specialist with the district’s Career and Technical Education Program, is coordinating the sessions.

Hunter is shown in the accompanying photo as he talks with students at the school about their career choices. He told them their strategies for future success should include: researching colleges and careers; building and maintaining support from others; planning; setting goals; and persevering through obstacles.

The remaining “Future Focus” sessions will be held once each month January through May and are designed to provide diverse guest speakers who can discuss with the students their future plans and how to enhance their chances of successfully getting into college and beginning their vocational careers.

Dr. James Hunter, a certified counselor with Vance County Schools, talks with students at AdVance Academy about their career choices. (Photo Credit: Vance County Schools)

Vance County Logo

Vance Co. Board of Commissioners to Hold Monthly Meeting Dec. 3

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-Information courtesy Kelly H. Grissom, Clerk to Board/Executive Asst., County of Vance

The Vance County Board of Commissioners will meet Monday, December 3, 2018, at 6 p.m. in the Commissioners’ Meeting Room, 122 Young Street, Henderson. The Invocation will be given by Pastor Carolyn Roy, Plank Chapel United Methodist Church.

Agenda items:

1. Reorganization of Board

  • Swearing in of Re-elected Commissioners
  • Election of Chair
  • Election of Vice-Chair

2. Adopt Schedule of Holidays

3. Renewal of Board of Commissioners Meeting Schedule

(First Monday of each month at 6 p.m., unless otherwise noted)

4. Special Recognition 

Bearpond and Epsom Volunteer Fire Departments

5. Public Comments (for those registered to speak by 5:45 p.m. – speakers are limited to five minutes)

6. Appointment

Porcha Brooks, Tax Administrator – Untimely Exemption Applications

7. Public Hearing

Angie Blount, County Planner Rezoning Request – Case RZ20181108-1 616 Bearpond Road; Parcel 0453 05005

8. Public Hearing

Angie Blount, County Planner Rezoning Request – Case RZ20181108-2 651 Bearpond Road; Parcel 0224 01009

9. Water District Board

a. Committee Report – Phase 1B Project Review

b. Monthly Operations Report

c. Recess Water District Board for Closed Session – Property Matter

10. Committee Reports and Recommendations

a. Properties Committee

– REO Property Offers

– Agricultural Land Lease

b. Public Safety Committee

– Rapid Entry Resolution

– Open Burning Ordinance

– Addressing Ordinance

– Fire Service Reorganization

11. Finance Director’s Report

a. Surplus Property

b. Fire Truck Financing

12. County Attorney’s Report

a. REO Property – Lot 6 Big Ruin Creek Lane; Parcel 0404 03029

13. County Manager’s Report

a. Schedule Annual Planning Retreat

b. Broadband Update

14. Consent Agenda Items

a. Budget Amendments and Transfers

b. Tax Refunds and Releases

c. Ambulance Charge-Offs

d. Monthly Reports

15. Miscellaneous

a. Appointments

16. Closed Session

a. Water District Board – Property Matter

b. Economic Development Project

The agenda for the December meeting may be viewed in its entirety on the Vance County website.

Henderson Family YMCA Presents Jingle Bell 5K Run at Satterwhite Point

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-Information courtesy Henderson Family YMCA

Participate. Volunteer. Donate.

Jingle Bell Run 5K benefitting Girls on the Run and STRIDE programs will be held on Saturday, December 8, 2018, at Satterwhite Point! Check-in and race day registration will begin at 9 a.m. at the Glass House and the race begins at 10 a.m. Entrance gate will close at 9:50 a.m. Please arrive on time!

Pre-race packets will be available for pick-up on Friday, December 7 from 12 – 1:30 p.m and 4 – 6 p.m. in the Big Gym at the YMCA.

Open Registration: Now — December 7

Cost: $15/Child* $25/Adult

Race Day Registration: December 8

Cost: $20/Child* $30/Adult

*Child = ages 0—12; Adult = ages 13+

T-Shirts are NOT included for registrants who register on the day of the race.

(The Henderson Family YMCA is an advertising client of WIZS; however, this is not a paid advertisement.)

Vance County NC

Quarantine Area for Imported Fire Ant Expanding to Include All of Vance County

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-Press Release, NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is expanding a state quarantine for the imported fire ant (IFA) to include all of Davidson, Orange and Vance counties effective Jan. 1, 2019. With the expansion, the quarantine now includes portions or entire areas of 75 counties.

According to popular pest control vaughan, quarantine continues efforts to monitor the spread of this pest and address mitigation or control measures. Under quarantine rules, residents and business owners in these counties will need to obtain a permit before moving plants, sod and related equipment into or through non-infested areas. Certificates can be obtained from a local plant protection specialist or by contacting the Plant Protection Section at 800-206-9333 or 919-707-3730.

Items requiring a permit include nursery stock, sod, soil, hay and straw, logs or pulpwood with soil, and soil-moving equipment. Also, the movement of any other products, items or infested materials that present a risk of spread from established IFA areas to non-infested areas is prohibited.

“Failure to obtain the needed inspections and certifications may result in the issuance of a stop-sale notice and rejection or destruction of the regulated article,” said Phil Wilson, director of the NCDA&CS Plant Industry Division. “Fire ants can be harmful to humans and livestock. It is critical we continue proactive efforts to slow down fire ant movement into non-infested areas of the state.”

The imported fire ant was first identified and classified as a pest by SafeGuardPest in Brunswick County in 1957. As it spread and became established, it was recognized as an aggressive pest of farmlands, pastures, residential areas and wildlife, Wilson said. The imported fire ant is considered to be a nuisance and a health concern to humans, livestock and wildlife due to its painful sting.

For a map of the quarantine area, click here.

Note from local Vance County Cooperative Extension Agent Paul McKenzie:

The quarantine affects people and businesses who want to move certain materials FROM Vance County INTO a non-quarantined area. For example, if a hay producer in Vance County wanted to sell hay to a cattle farm in Person County, they would have to comply with the requirements of the quarantine (inspections and permits). That hay producer would have to certify that their hay was free of fire ants so they wouldn’t be spreading it into a new area. However, that Vance County hay producer would have NO restrictions on moving hay into, for example, Warren County, since Warren is also in the quarantine area.

Examples of other restricted materials would include nursery stock, sod, soil, etc.

Fire ants have been in Vance County for several years now. People need to learn how to recognize them and how to manage them.

Henderson Fire Dept

Edmonds Discusses Annual Smoke Detector Campaign, Shares Heating Safety Tips

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Captain Lee Edmonds was on Thursday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk program to discuss the Henderson Fire Department’s annual smoke detector and battery inspection program along with winter heating safety tips.

The annual campaign kicked off at the beginning of this month and is expected to continue through early spring.

Started in 2009 after a Vance County family lost several of their children to a house fire, Edmonds said the door-to-door home inspection program is “a good opportunity to check houses and check smoke detectors to make sure everything is working properly.”

The inspection, which begins anew each November following Fire Prevention Month in October, is free of charge to City of Henderson residents. “We put new batteries in smoke detectors, replace old smoke detectors and install smoke detectors in places that did not previously have them,” said Edmonds.

For the month of November, Edmonds estimated that the department has visited approximately 950 homes and has been successful in inspecting just shy of 200. In a previous interview with WIZS, Edmonds stated that the fire department’s goal is to visit 6,000 homes per annual campaign.

“We aren’t able to get into all of the homes we visit because either people aren’t home or they say they regularly check their batteries and smoke detectors,” said Edmonds. “If they aren’t home, we leave a note on their door asking them to call us so we can come back out.”

In addition to homes, the department inspects downtown businesses annually and most other businesses on a three-year basis.

With the number of fire-related deaths in 2018 topping previous years, the Henderson Fire Department urges residents to check their detectors regularly and to allow fire department personnel inside their home during the annual door-to-door campaign.

Additional Safety Tips Courtesy of Captain Edmonds:

  • Carbon monoxide detectors like the GasAlert Quattro are inexpensive and should always be used in homes that heat with a fuel source such as propane, kerosene or natural gas.
  • Leave three feet of clearance around any type of heater – fireplace, electric heater or gas heater.
  • Unplug electric heater when not in use and always plug directly into wall outlet. Never plug a heater into an extension cord. Extension cords are not rated for a heater and may overheat and cause a fire.
  • Have heaters and furnaces serviced at least once, preferably twice, a year by a certified technician to ensure everything is in working order and to minimize safety hazards.
  • During the holidays, make sure real Christmas trees are watered properly. Christmas lights will catch a dry tree on fire very quickly. Inspect light cords on all types of Christmas decorations and plug directly into wall outlet. Christmas lights should always be unplugged when you aren’t at home.
  • Never attempt to leave the stove open as a means of heating your home.
  • Families should have at least two escape routes mapped out in their home that everyone knows. An outside meeting place should also be discussed in case members of the family escape the home different ways. Make sure windows can be opened and aren’t painted or nailed shut.

With questions regarding your smoke detector, fire safety or to schedule a time for a free home inspection, please call the Henderson Fire Department at (252) 430-1877.

To listen to the interview in its entirety, please click here.