Tag Archive for: #vancecountynews

Chamber Honors Jim Johnson, Vance Recovery At Annual Banquet

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Each year the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting and Banquet serves the dual roles of bringing the membership base together as well as recognizing the outstanding contributions of a local citizen and a local business.

At Thursday evening’s event, attended by about 300 people in the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center, Jim Johnson was honored as the 2024 Citizen of the Year.

As outgoing Chamber Board President Margier White shared details about the as-yet-unnamed recipient, several generations of Johnson’s family – children, grandchildren and great-grands – filed into the Civic Center and gathered along one side.

White called Johnson a “true pillar in our community,” adding that he came to Henderson in 1977 and began a 30-year career in the manufactured housing industry. In the 1990’s, Henderson was home to one of only three manufactured housing operations in the state.

Johnson was a member of the U.S. Air Force and is a decorated Vietnam veteran.

He is a graduate of East Carolina University.

Johnson has filled many roles in Hermon Methodist Church over the years and is a long-time member of the local Kiwanis club. He was Kiwanian of the Year in 2005 and has participated in all their fundraisers over the years – golf tournaments and azalea sales, among others.

He served on the board of Maria Parham Health from 1996 to 2004 and then from 2005 to 2022. He was chairman from 2011 to 2022.

His is a life “that embodies the very spirit of engagement,” White said.

His focus on family, faith and community are the key components that make Johnson such a standout.

In brief remarks following the presentation, Johnson apologized for being a little teary-eyed as he thanked the Chamber for honoring him.

“I’ve got every citizen in Vance County to thank for this award,” he said.

Duke Energy was the event’s presenting sponsor. Beth Townsend, Duke Energy’s Local Government and Community Relations Manager, announced the 2024 Small Business of the Year.

In her presentation, Townsend said this year’s Small Business of the Year – Vance Recovery – provides a crucial service to the community. Vance Recovery is a Morse Clinic in Henderson, which recently expanded and moved to West Andrews Avenue to offer opioid treatment programs in Vance County. Their methadone clinic offers Medication Assisted Therapy and counseling to help people overcome addiction to heroin and other opiates.

Henderson’s clinic is the largest of the nine Morse clinics across the state. The goal is to treat the whole person with a suite of medical and counseling services for patients with substance abuse disorders.

Program Director John Mattocks accepted the award on behalf of the clinic staff and the clinic founder, Dr. Eric Morse. Mattocks said the clinic helps roughly 400 people who are struggle with opioid use disorder.

“Our patients come to us every day and expect us to care for them,” he said, adding that the staff prides itself on providing not just medical care, but compassionate treatment as they reclaim their lives. “Anyone who walks through our door is a courageous individual,” he continued.

This year’s banquet theme,“All Aboard the Chamber Express,” embraces the idea of City and County ties to the railroad – past, present and future.

“We know that Vance County really started with the train coming through,” Chamber President Sandra Wilkerson told WIZS back in January “We’re looking forward to the train coming back,” she said, referring to the proposed S-Line passenger rail project that will ultimately connect rail service between Raleigh and Richmond. Henderson and Norlina are both proposed stops on the S-Line.

With recent federal cuts, the NCDOT this week told WIZS News, “…all USDOT discretionary grants are paused per the Feb. 26 Executive Order, and we do not know when those grants will be able to move forward. …we are moving ahead with our work as planned until we are told otherwise.”

(Original Article was post by WIZS on April 3rd, 2025)

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Commissioners Give Nod To “Design/Build” Process For Jail Repairs, Renovations

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The Vance County Board of Commissioners have approved a pathway for county staff to proceed with a “design/build” process to make necessary repairs to the jail as it weighs further options for construction of a new detention center.

County Attorney Jonathan Care explained to commissioners at their Monday meeting why he recommends this “new” approach be used for the repairs and expressed the need to move quickly, based on a letter from the state citing, among other things, the poor physical condition of the jail.

Care spelled out options for the short-term repairs needed at the existing jail while pursuing design and construction options for a brand-new jail; the consensus at Monday’s meeting was to use the design/build process for the repairs. Care told commissioners staff could have everything in place by the next meeting, if not sooner, to put that plan in motion.

One of the main components of the design/build approach, he explained, has both the construction side and the design side collaborating on the project instead of hiring an architect to design and then a construction team to build.

“I think that is the absolute best way to move forward,” Care said, “and that is my recommendation to move forward with repairs to our current facility.”

The design/build approach begins with a request for qualification – an RFQ – instead of a request for proposals – an RFP, which often results in awarding projects to the company who submits the lowest bid.

He said the design/build process won’t be the cheapest way, but it should result in fewer change orders during construction and fewer issues that inevitably pop up.

With the repairs, however, “time is as much of a factor as cost is.”

A jail is not something that should be pieced out and parceled, Care said.

“We need to know, down the road, that we’re going to have a facility that isn’t such a unicorn that we’re reliant on one person” to come in and make needed repairs, he said, referencing the problem with broken doors at the jail.

“I can tell you, unfortunately, we’ve experienced some of that in our current facility with updating, remodeling and building…that isn’t working for us, and it’s costing us dearly now.”

State Gives Vance Jail April 10 Deadline To Reduce Population, Address Deficiencies

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Vance County has one more day to reduce its jail population from about 140 to 20, one of five corrective action measures issued by the N.C. Dept. of Health and Human Services.

In a 6-page letter addressed to County Commissioner Board Chair Carolyn Faines, County Manager C. Renee Perry, Sheriff Curtis Brame and acting jail administrator Maj. William Mitchell, DHHS Secretary Devdutta Sangvai wrote that conditions at the Vance County Detention Center “jeopardize the safe custody, safety, health, or welfare” following an inspection last month.

“I have concluded that the conditions at VCDC jeopardize the safe custody, safety, health, or welfare of the individuals incarcerated there. Based on the information set forth below and the Facility’s failure to act with a sense of urgency to implement corrective measures and substantially depopulate, I have determined that an Agreement of Correction is not appropriate, and that an Order of Corrective Action is necessary,” Sangvai wrote in the letter, dated April 1, 2025.

In addition to the jail’s depopulation, the other four corrective action measures address supervision rounds, contraband, staffing and the county’s comprehensive action plan to address deficiencies at the detention center. The county has until April 15 to submit a written plan that spells out how it will recruit additional staff as well as implementation dates for recruiting, hiring, training and retaining detention officers. April 15 also is the deadline to submit a comprehensive plan of correction for each deficiency cited in previous inspections, giving priority to repairing the video surveillance system and repair of all cell door locks.

The state of disrepair has been a topic of discussion at county commissioner meetings for quite a while, and commissioners have gone back and forth about whether to repair the existing jail or to build a new one. Recent discussions – and the dismal inspections reports – have resulted in the need to spend a significant amount of money on repairs while weighing the options about new construction – a multi-year project.

The county can appeal the decision, but County Attorney Jonathan Care said he has not yet been authorized to do so.

Although the physical condition of the jail is a major concern, the April 1 letter also cites staffing as a problem. “The Facility remains seriously understaffed,” the letter reads. “The current staff cannot adequately supervise the Facility’s current census.” Where once close to 30 officers were employed to supervise and staff the detention center, there are now only nine positions that routinely supervise the Pods, the letter stated.

Here’s a timeline of most recent inspections by the Division of Health Service Regulation:

  • July 2024 – 64 deficiencies noted, ranging from inadequate staffing and cracked security glass to damaged cell doors, pod doors and deficient supervision practices
  • December 2024 – 55 continuing deficiencies, as well as 33 new ones for a total of 88 deficiencies
  • January 23, 2025 – another inspection following report of a security breach on Jan. 1. Inspectors observed holes in cinder block walls, holes in perimeter security fencing and evidence of an undisclosed type of contraband that was brought into the jail. Numerous security cameras were out of service in three control rooms, cell and pod doors were still broken and supervision rounds weren’t being conducted.
  • February 3, 2025 – The state sent a letter to the county about “ongoing noncompliance and identified deficiencies” and informed the county of the potential safety risks to inmates and VCDC staff, ultimately requiring that the county provide “an immediate commitment to corrective action.” The letter further requested that the county send written confirmation to the state about prioritizing the issues and take the necessary action to correct them.
  • March 9, 2025 – the state received another report that detainees had used a water cooler to damage a security glass at the D Pod entrance.
  • March 12, 2025 – state conducted a follow-up inspection and learned of an assault on one staff member and dismissal of four others on allegations that they delivered contraband to detainees. The SBI had been notified of the possible criminal activity.
  • March 17, 2025 – the state sent a letter to the county requiring that the jail “take immediate action to depopulate the facility to a manageable number that staff could adequately supervise and gave the county two days – until Mar. 19 – to submit a comprehensive corrective action plan in response to the Dec. 18, 2024 inspection report.
  • March 18, 2025 – the county did submit an action plan, but the state said it failed to identify specific, actionable and achievable steps to correct all the noncompliance identified in the December 2024 report – only 4 of the 88 deficiencies were addressed.
  • March 21, 2025 – follow-up inspection showed continuing deficiencies. Only 26 of the facility’s 62 total cell doors could be securely locked and two of the Pods had no working doors. One Pod was missing a door entirely. “The lack of operable, locking cell doors seriously impacts the Facility’s function and the safety of incarcerated individuals and staff,” the April 1 letter stated.

Read the letter from the NC DHHS Secretary here: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25879915-vance-county-letter-4125/

Vance Co. Regional Farmers Market

Attend May 2 ‘Food Farmacy’ To Learn How Wellness, Food Choices Affect Health

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We’ve all heard the saying, “you are what you eat,” and we know we should make healthy food choices — at least most of the time – to be our healthiest selves. But did you know that our food choices could play a role in helping us combat chronic illnesses and reduce health disparities within the community?

Learn more about choosing healthy food options that don’t bust the budget at the upcoming 2025 Food Farmacy Market on May 2 at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.

With a focus on health and wellness, the Food Farmacy will take place from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the day before Opening Day of the farmers market.

Organizers are building on the success of a previous event, and they’re taking things to the next level to promote nutritious diets and physical fitness and address health-related challenges facing the community.

The Food Farmacy will provide access to nutritious, affordable food options while also hosting educational opportunities on making healthier food choices and lifestyle choices. Come learn about the local food system and how to come together as a community to reduce chronic illnesses and health disparities.

There’s a brief interest form in the link below for anyone who wants to be a vendor, an educator or a volunteer for this community event.

Find the form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc4dGKOiAOxk3nHgWsKGGTRu1NlE-GtyrMKEG1XXujRfM9qcg/viewform

Mobile Home Owners Will Pay More For Fire, Casualty Insurance Beginning Sept. 1

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The N.C. Department of Insurance has ended its legal dispute with the North Carolina Rate Bureau over a proposed rate increase for two types of insurance policies for mobile home owners.

The two policies are Mobile Home Fire and Mobile Home Casualty, and the settlement calls for a statewide average increase of 11 percent per year over the next two years for the fire policy and an average of 8 percent over the same time period for the casualty policy.

The first set of increases will take effect on new and renewed policies beginning on or after Sept. 1. The second set of increases will take effect on Aug. 31, 2026. The agreement prevents the insurance companies from seeking an increase before Sept. 1, 2027.

Although the cost will go up, the increase is much less than the proposed 82.9 percent and 49.9 percent increase in fire and casualty policies that companies asked the Rate Bureau for about one year ago, according to information from the N.C. Dept. of Insurance.

“I am happy to announce that North Carolina mobile homeowners will save more than $10 million a year in premium payments compared to what the insurance companies requested, Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey said. “I am also glad the Department of Insurance and insurance companies have avoided a lengthy, expensive administrative legal battle.”

The increases affect approximately 148,000 policyholders in North Carolina.

Unlike standard homeowners’ programs, both the MH-F and MH-C programs include flood coverage. The two programs are similar. However, the MH-F program provides coverage for a broader range of perils.

The agreement means a hearing on the issue scheduled for May 21 has been canceled.

Upcoming Community Resource Festival Shaping Up To Be Largest Yet

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With more than 100 vendors already registered, the Community Resource Festival 2025 is shaping up to be the largest resource gathering in two counties, and organizers are eager to provide the community with valuable information and a fun day of networking.

The third annual event takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Apr. 16 at the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center. In addition to VGCC, sponsors include Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce, Granville County Chamber of Commerce and Huff Consulting, LLC

Michele Walker with Huff Consulting, LLC is one of the volunteer organizers. Interest in the event has been great, she said – so much so that some vendors have been placed on a wait list. If previously registered vendors know they cannot attend, Walker asks that they contact organizers as soon as possible to allow as many vendors as possible to take part.

“Thank you so much for making it happen and breaking records, yet again!” Walker said in a written request to vendors for door prizes and other donations.

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Walker asks vendors to share on social media outlets counts as the participation/registration fee, she said. Vendors are asked to “tag” the resource partners to help get the word out to as many people as possible.

Facebook users can add “Shelli Walker” to their tags for verification as well. Walker said she will accept all “follow” requests and she will be showcasing random vendors as a way to further promote the event’s activities and participants.

“Again, we can’t thank you enough for being a part of this Community Resource Festival and we hope you all have an amazing time yourselves! Network, Network, Network!” Walker said.

This year, vendors are eligible to win door prizes, she said. Vendors who are donating prizes are asked to inform organizers no later than Monday, Apr. 7 of the type and quantity of door prizes they’ll be providing.

There will be a table by the entrance to the Civic Center to drop donated items on the day of the event. That’s also where the winners will be announced. Previous door prizes have been gift cards, gift baskets, books and donated services.

Please send the following information to michele.walker@huff-consulting.com.

  1. Item (description)
  2. Quantity
  3. Name of Organization

Please include on each item the name of the donor organization as well as accurate contact information.

YMCA

Henderson Family YMCA Willard Haithcock Membership Scholarship Applications Due Apr. 20

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The Henderson Family YMCA is accepting applications for the Willard Haithcock Membership Scholarships, established by his family to honor his legacy.

The scholarships support individuals and families who demonstrate a need for YMCA membership and can benefit from its mission to build a healthy spirit, mind and body for all, according to information from the Y’s Marketing and Communications Director Christina Miceli.

The application deadline is Sunday, Apr. 20 and the winners will be announced May 1.

Visit: https://hendersonymca.org/ to read more about eligibility criteria and to complete the application.

Local Airport Authority Role Is To Manage, Protect Land, Flight Patterns

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Although Henderson gets top billing in the name, the Henderson-Oxford Airport is actually located in Granville County, and the Airport Authority that oversees its operation is owned by both Vance and Granville counties and by both cities.

David Thomas of Henderson is the current chair of the Airport Authority and Jon Carver of Oxford is vice chair.

Carver and District 2 Granville County Commissioner Rob Williford explained the authority’s role and the value of having a regional, public airport as counties and municipalities compete for industry, manufacturing and other types of economic development.

Anyone interested in developing property within a 5-mile radius of the airport is supposed to file a form with the Federal Aviation Administration – Form 7460 – which allows the FAA to provide feedback about the proposals as well as point out any effects that development could have on the airport.

There are height restrictions for structures that may be in a plane’s flight path or gliding pattern near the airport, for example, Williford pointed out.

“All the owners of the airport have to be good stewards of the airport,” Carver said, adding that if the form isn’t submitted, the airport authority could be found in violation of grant assurances. And worse still, the FAA could ask for money back. In the case of the local airport, that would be about $9.5 million.

Carver said he explained this procedure to Oxford city commissioners at a recent meeting during which there was discussion of a rezoning request for 527 acres of land located within that 5-mile radius of the airport.

The FAA is not going to stop the development, Carver said, but without that Form 7460, the FAA could come back to the airport authority and say it isn’t being a good steward.

“They don’t have the jurisdiction to stop the development,” he continued, but added that the authority could incur a penalty and face further consequences.

The airport is in Williford’s district, and he said he has learned a great deal about the airport since he’s been on the county board of commissioners. He said the authority is doing all the proper things for the airport, which relies on FAA funding. “We can’t afford to have that cut out,” he said.

He said he is confident that the city and the county “will come together and work things out and we will be fine.”

Williford said the airport is an asset to both Granville and Vance counties and said as the counties continue to grow and attract business and industry, the airport will play a vital role.

“When we can (say that) we have an airport that can handle corporate jets, that’s a plus,” Williford said.

People coming to check out the area for locating their business or industry are going to fly in, he said. They want something even closer than RDU – and the Henderson-Oxford Airport fits that bill.

But others use the airport for recreational purposes – a lot of people now enjoy flying in for hunting, he said, and even keep a vehicle on the airport grounds for their comings and goings.

In fact, the wait list for hangar space is 49-people long. The airport authority is in a holding pattern waiting for the water lines to extend to the airport that will accommodate the required sprinkler system for fire suppression.

And then the Henderson-Oxford Airport will be ready for takeoff.

‘Pink With A Passion’ Event Saturday, Apr. 12 In Warrenton

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The 4th annual Pink With A Passion Cancer Walk will take place on Saturday, Apr. 12 and the public is invited to come out and be a part of this inspiring community event, whose theme is “Walk With Strength: Fight Cancer In All Colors.”

The activities will take place beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Warren County Recreational Complex, located at 840 US-158 bypass in Warrenton.

The Mammogram Bus will be onsite again this year, offering 25 free 3D mammogram screenings, according to Evelyn Tunstall Smith, one of the event organizers. Reserve a spot here: https://appointments.invisiondiagnostics.com/appoinment/

A Tree of Hope ceremony will provide a special moment of remembrance and strength for those who have lost their lives to cancer as well as survivors of the disease.

There will be a live band, a DJ, food trucks, vendors and plenty of kid-friendly activities – bring the whole family for a day full of fun, connection and celebration.

Register at  https://forms.gle/nqyZuxN9fDgayDM86

Event t-shirts are available, too. Order online and pick up on the day of the event, or contact Amena Wilson at 252.213.5735 before April 5 to arrange pickup before the event.  Purchase t-shirts at
https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/5EJMZKDZ5DTWS

To learn more about Pink With A Passion, visit: www.pinkwithapassion.org

(This story was originally published March 14, 2025 on WIZS Radio and WIZS.com)

Rebuilding Hope, Inc. Men’s Breakfast Thursdays At 7 AM

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Rebuilding Hope Co-director Tom Wille invites men in the community to a weekly breakfast and devotion time to discuss and reflect a bit on God’s word and how it applies to our daily lives.

“If you are looking for a community to serve in, a community to grown in, a community to be encouraged by, then come hang out with us,” Wille wrote in a recent Rebuilding Hope newsletter.

Come at 7 a.m. on Thursdays for a biscuit – a full breakfast on the first Thursday of the month – and then stay for a devotion and prayer time for various needs across the community.

Volunteers do the cooking and lead the devotion, Wille said.

“We learn as men about things like 1 Timothy 3:2-5 how these attributes can positively affect us and those around us. Proverbs 27:17 shows how we can encourage each other through positive relationships,” he said.

There’s time for prayer – prayer for individual needs, as well as needs for the ministry and for the larger community. Prayers are offered for other ministries that serve their communities in particular ways, from food and shelter to worship and counseling

“While our main focus is to point people to Jesus through maintenance construction, we also understand the need to support each other and the other groups in our area that point people to Christ through their focus of ministry,” Wille said. “Each of these places is important.”
If you’d like to support Rebuilding Hope, Inc. with a financial contribution, there’s an online link to make a secure payment. Visit www.rebuildinghopeinc.org and click on the Donate button at the top of the page. There’s an option to donate to General Ministry for daily operations, SOS (Servants on Site) to pay registration fees or to contribute to the summer mission camp and Memorial to make a gift in remembrance of someone.