Tag Archive for: #wizs news

Vance “State Of The County” Focuses On Positives In Service, Economy And Business

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In Thursday’s “State of the County” address sponsored by the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Henderson Rotary Club, county officials laid out a list of initiatives and programs, all of which bode well for Vance County, both in the immediate future and in the long-term.

County Manager Jordan McMillen painted a positive picture in remarks to the group of about 100 business and corporate leaders, elected officials and other key players.

“Vance County is alive and thriving,” McMillen said. “That’s not to say that we don’t have our challenges…but today’s going to be positive.”

Vance County Board of Commissioners Chairman Leo Kelly also spoke to the group assembled at the business luncheon held at Henderson Country Club.

Kelly highlighted four projects within the county that have helped to propel the county forward:

  • The $4.5 million renovation of the Eaton Johnson campus, which now houses several different agencies, from DSS and the Senior Center to GRRO and the city-county youth services
  • The second shell building in the industrial park
  • Sale of the former DSS building to the Henderson Family YMCA
  • Purchase of 2.5 acres beside the EMS building to prepare for construction of a new facility

“We’re real proud of what happened to that building,” Kelly said of the renovation of the former middle school campus. “The building is getting fantastic use.”

Finding ways to use existing buildings is one way the county has maximized its resources, but the shell building concept is one that has proven itself as well.

When Mako Medical was looking for a location in 2017, McMillen said, company leaders looked here “because we had a building.”

Public-private partnerships like the shell buildings are going to continue to play a vital role in moving the local economy forward, McMillen noted, and he encouraged the audience to continue to invest in the future of the county and their community.

The total value of all the property in Vance County comes to just shy of $3 billion, and that property generates about $26 million in tax revenue, he said. “That funds everything we do.”

More than three-quarters of the county’s total $55 million budget goes to three sectors: public safety, education and human services.

Other county services highlighted include:

  • Tax collection rates are at an all-time high, more than 97 percent
  • Senior Center provides more than 20,000 meals and in-home assistance to older citizens
  • Animal Services has a new facility and boasts the lowest euthanasia rate in the area
  • 911 answers an average of 236 calls a day
  • Veterans service staff helped more than 1,200 veterans and their dependents access $17 million in benefits
  • The kitchen at the county detention center provides meals for inmates, but also prepares meals for the Senior Center and for Meals on Wheels
  • Parks and rec programs – which gets 45 percent of its funding from the county – served 8,500 youth in its various programs and activities
  • Another 6,500 residents participated in Cooperative Extension activities and programs
  • Smart Start, the Boys & Girls Club, Gang Free, Inc. and the local children’s home all are supported by county funding.

Residential home construction is on the rise, and the county is getting more tourism dollars – and a record occupancy tax from hotels and motels. There’s plenty of room for more, McMillen said.

“We’re not there yet, but I think the state of Vance County is strong,” McMillen said.

To view the presentation, visit https://www.vancecounty.org/and click on the link titled State of the County under the heading Latest News.

Butner Inmate Sentenced After Assaulting, Injuring Officer

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  • Information courtesy of the U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of North Carolina

An inmate at FMC Butner was sentenced to 114 months in prison for assaulting a federal law enforcement officer at the Federal Medical Center in Butner. The inmate had pled guilty to the charge earlier this year.

According to court documents, Michael Anthony Mata, 47, an inmate at FMC Butner at the time of the offense, struck the law enforcement officer in the face after the officer told him he was in an unauthorized area and asked him to return to his assigned housing unit.  As a result of the contact, the officer suffered a severe fracture to his left orbital wall that required surgical repair.

In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Michael Easley said, “The brave men and women who put themselves on the line every day to keep the rest of us safe, have the well-deserved support of our Office. We will vigorously prosecute anyone who assaults a correctional officer, or any other law enforcement personnel, and seek a firm punishment to deter others who may be inclined to do the same.”

Citing Mata’s extensive criminal history and the severity of the assault, U.S. Federal District Court Judge James C. Dever III sentenced Mata to 114 months in prison.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mallory Brooks Storus prosecuted the case.

 

S-Line Rail Corridor

June 16 Workshop, Open House Set For Warren Residents To Discuss S-Line Rail Corridor

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-information courtesy of Warren County Community and Economic Development Director, Charla Duncan

As plans continue for rail service through North Carolina, Warren County and the NCDOT’s Integrated Mobility Division will host a design workshop and public open house next month to allow the community to provide input toward a vision for the transit-oriented development in the area.

The proposed S-Line is a rail line that involves about 95 miles in North Carolina and will connect  Richmond, Virginia and Tampa, Florida, with stops in Norlina and Henderson, according to information received from the office of Warren County Manager Vincent Jones.

The design workshop will be held Thursday, June 16  between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. at the Warrenton Armory Civic Center, 501 U.S. Hwy 158 Business East in Warrenton. Members of the community are invited to come any time during the three hours to provide their own ideas, suggestions and feedback as they learn more about the vision for the S-Line rail corridor in Norlina.

The public open house will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., also at the Warrenton Armory. Families are invited and there will be a “kids zone” with children’s activities.

In addition to Norlina and Henderson, the S-Line project includes Apex, Franklinton, Raleigh, Sanford, Wake Forest and Youngsville along the 95-mile stretch of rail line.

Transit-oriented development has a goal to connect communities and public spaces by increasing accessibility without having to rely on a personal vehicle. An important aspect of this study is public engagement.

More information about the S-Line Transit Oriented Development Study can be found online at https://www.ncdot.gov/divisions/rail/s-line-study.

For more information, contact Charla Duncan, director of community and economic development, at 252.257.3115 or by email at charladuncan@warrencountync.gov.

Michael Fuga Named Principal At J.F. Webb High

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The Granville Board of Education named Dr. Michael T. Fuga as the new principal of J.F. Webb High School at its January meeting.

Fuga most recently was principal of Neal Middle School in Durham and has almost 20 years of experience in education. During his six years as principal at Neal, Fuga received Principal of the Year honors for the district. He has been an assistant principal, social studies teacher and athletic coach at the high school level, according to a press release from Dr. Stan Winborne, district associate superintendent and public information officer.

Superintendent Dr. Alisa McLean said she is pleased to welcome Fuga to the district. “He comes highly recommended with a proven track record of improving outcomes for students,” McLean stated.

Under Fuga’s leadership, Neal went from a low-performing status to post some of the highest achievement results in its history. The school also “dramatically lowered both short- and long-term suspensions,” the press statement reported.

Fuga joins a leadership team that includes assistant principals Blondina Small, who served as interim principal, and Anthony Dickens.

Amy Rice, who had been principal at the high school, was named testing and accountability coordinator for the district.

Fuga holds an undergraduate degree from Washington and Jefferson College in Pennsylvania, and a masters and doctorate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The Local Skinny! Granville Holiday Events In Full Swing This Weekend

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If you can’t find something to do this weekend in Granville County, you’re not looking very hard. Holiday activities are cranking up this evening with Jingle & Mingle in downtown Oxford.

More than a dozen retailers, merchants and restaurants are keeping their doors open tonight to give shoppers and diners an opportunity to make purchases or just relax over dinner, according to Angela Allen, Granville tourism director.

She told WIZS News Wednesday that some retailers that normally close by 5 p.m. will remain open until 7 tonight to take part in the event. Allen said some small businesses had to get make adjustments during the pandemic to stay afloat, and Jingle & Mingle is just one result – “helping some of these small businesses is important – every little bit helps,” Allen said.

Visit the following merchants during tonight’s event:

  • Oxford ACE Hardware
  • Daniel’s Flea Market
  • Sheffine’s
  • C Squared
  • Huntsboro Hemp Company
  • The Hub on Main NC
  • Nan’s
  • The Painted Ox
  • Home Decorator Shoppe
  • Main Street Fitness
  • The Orpheum at Oxford
  • Strong Arm Baking Company
  • Small Town Toys and Games
  • This ‘n That
  • Tobacco Wood Brewing Co.
  • 9 Forward

Carlee Farms, an event venue near Stem, is hosting a holiday marketplace on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. More than 30 vendors will be set up in the open-air facility to make Christmas shopping enjoyable and safe. Bring your cameras because Santa and his elves will be on hand to pose for photos. Also bring a toy to donate to charity for the Carlee Farms toy drive.

Then, it’s time to put on your fancy duds to attend the gala at the Orpheum in downtown Oxford Saturday evening. This black-tie event is for those 21 years and older and tickets are $75, two for $150. Proceeds benefit the Masonic Home for Children in Oxford. There will be heavy hors d’oeuvres and craft cocktails created by one of the state’s top mixologists. A silent auction will be set up with some great items to bid on.

Bring the whole family up to the northern end of Granville County on Sunday afternoon for the Grassy Creek Christmas Parade. It begins at 2 p.m. but get there early because the roadside gets crowded. The parade starts on Charlie Winston Road, and it’s a first-come, first-served parade line up. The best parking is at Grassy Creek Baptist Church, but the best viewing is right along the shoulder of the road, between the church and Charlie Winston Road along Grassy Creek-Virgilina Road.

“It’s definitely one of our most unique parades,” Allen said. “It’s not one of those traditional parades – there’s a little bit of everything in that parade.” There’s no downtown parade route because, well, there is no downtown in Grassy Creek. This parade is one you need to experience for yourself.

And speaking of experiences, Back to Bethlehem, the live nativity at Delrayno Baptist Church in Oxford, offers participants a glimpse at what that first Christmas may have looked like. The drive-through event begins at 6 p.m. and runs through 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday and Monday evenings Dec. 11-13.

People come from all around to participate, and Allen said it’s very realistic – it’s like you are driving through Bethlehem,” she said. A team of folks painstakingly map out that whole parking lot and re-create Bethlehem, complete with camels and other livestock of the day.

Check out details for these and other events at https://visitgranvillenc.com/whats-happening.

Local News Audio

Noon News 12-31-20 Animal Shelter; Sewer Bypass; Livestock Webinar; Rev. Ola Thorpe Cooper

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Stories include:

– Vance Co. Animal Shelter closed due to a Covid 19 related issue

– Sewer bypass and storm water issues

– livestock emergency webinar

– City Council woman Rev. Ola Thorpe Cooper

For full details and audio click play.