Tag Archive for: #wizsnews

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Henderson Mayoral Race Remains A 4-Way Race Following Hearing

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The Vance County Board of Elections ruled Tuesday afternoon that Henderson mayoral candidate Greg Etheridge may remain on the October ballot. Etheridge’s residency was called into question, but the board ruled in his favor during a hearing that began at 4 p.m.

Both Etheridge and challenger Sara Coffey, also a candidate for mayor, were present for the hearing, which lasted more than an hour. Coffey said she plans to appeal to the state board of elections; state law requires that appeals be made within 10 days of the local decision. The state board will decide whether to hear the appeal or uphold the local decision.

Etheridge and three sitting City Council members are competing for the office of mayor. Mayor Eddie Ellington announced earlier that he would not seek re-election.  Melissa Elliott and Jason Spriggs are the other mayoral candidates rounding out the field.

The city’s nonpartisan municipal elections will be held on Oct. 10.

Early voting begins Sept. 21 and continues through Oct. 7, and Vance County Elections Director Melody Vaughan said the early voting site again will located at the Dr. Andrea L. Harris Operations Center on Beckford Drive.

The hours for early voting are Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Saturday, Oct. 7 hours are 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
In addition to the mayor, candidates are vying for four seats on the Henderson City Council. Ward 2 incumbent Mike Rainey faces challengers Sam Seifert and Janice Ward, and four newcomers are in the race for the Ward 1 seat. Geraldine Champion, Symia Crews, Clementine Hunter and Corey Pearson are on the ballot for Ward 1, a seat currently held by Marion Brodie Williams, who did not seek re-election.

In two at-large races, Kory Franklin, Michael Venable and Michelle Wood are on the ballot for Ward 3 and George Daye, Lora Durham and Tami Walker are on the ballot for Ward 4.

“Fight For Misty” BBQ Fundraiser Saturday, Aug. 26 At Kerr Lake Country Club

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Come out to Kerr Lake Country Club Saturday, pick up some barbecue plates and let everyone know that you’re supporting the “Fight for Misty” fundraiser.

Pick up barbecue plates, complete with slaw, boiled potatoes, bread and dessert for $12.

No ticket in hand? No problem – you can purchase on site, at 600 Hedrick Drive.

The “Fight for Misty” fundraiser begins at 1 p.m. and ends at 6 p.m.

In 2019, Misty was diagnosed with Cardiac Sarcoidosis, a rare disease that disrupts the heart’s rhythm, blood flow and normal heart function causing very aggressive inflammation around the heart.

She had a pacemaker implanted to monitor her heart rhythm and detect irregular heartbeats. She takes numerous medications and receives regular infustions at Duke University Hospital to reduce inflammation around her heart. Cardiac sarcoidosis has no cure and requires ongoing long-term treatment.

Police Arrest 24-Year-Old On Drug Charges

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From Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow

Officers of the Henderson Police Department arrested a 24-year-old Monday as a result of two search warrants carried out simultaneously at two homes in the city.

Taken during the searches were 1,500 dosage units of heroin, 3.5 pills of a Schedule II substance and more than $37,000 in U.S. currency, according to a press statement from Chief Marcus Barrow.

The warrants were for rental properties, one at 910 Buckhorn St. and the other at 929 Carroll Rd.

Leshawn Alston was arrested and charged with trafficking heroin by manufacturing, possession with intent to sell and deliver heroin, trafficking heroin by possession, maintaining a dwelling, misdemeanor possession of Schedule II, and misdemeanor child abuse.

Alston received a $200,000 bond and bonded out immediately, the press statement reported.

Barrow added that the owners of the properties have been sent appropriate letters of notifications regarding legal recourse.

U.S. Department of Justice

Henderson Man Gets 15+ Years For Trafficking Fentanyl, Heroin, Oxycodone

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A Henderson man was sentenced in New Bern Friday to 188 months in prison for trafficking fentanyl and heroin. On May 4, 2023, Tyren Omarious Hargrove, 23, pled guilty to possession with the intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin and fentanyl.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, after receiving information that Hargrove was involved in drug trafficking, law enforcement oversaw multiple controlled purchases of suspected heroin from Hargrove. In June 2022, agents also executed a search warrant at Hargrove’s residence in Henderson where they recovered more than 4,000 dosage units of heroin and fentanyl, oxycodone, and nearly $55,000.

“The outcome of today’s sentencing is the result of a collaborative effort of local, state, and federal resources,” said Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow. “Our partnerships are focused on the betterment of our community. I’m hopeful that our community feels the impact of today’s announcement and many others that will be forthcoming.”

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Henderson Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey L. Peaden prosecuted the case.

 

TownTalk: Remembering Dr. Marion Lark

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Colleagues and community members are remembering their beloved friend and pastor, Dr. Marion D. Lark, who died late Saturday, Aug. 19. Lark came to The First Baptist Church in Henderson in 1973 and was minister there for 29 years.

“It’s a sad day for First Baptist Church and for our community,” remarked Senior Minister Ron Cava as Sunday’s worship service began. “Our beloved senior minister emeritus …entered his rest last evening.”

A memorial service will be held at First Baptist Church Henderson, Wednesday, August 23, 2023 at 3 P.M. by Dr. Ron Cava, Dr. Glenn Phillips and Dr. Phil Young.  A private interment will be held for the family.  

“He will be sorely missed,” Cava told the congregation Sunday morning. “His impact in this congregation, in this community…cannot be quantified.”

Dr. Phil Young, First Baptist’s longtime minister of music, remembered his friend fondly. “We remained close friends after our retirement,” Young said Monday on TownTalk. “I will miss him terribly…how often I have thanked God that we were able to work together and what a blessing he has been on my life. He was a great preacher and a great pastor and we will miss him.”

Mark Hopper, FBC’s minister of music until 2022, expressed sadness and disbelief. “He has been such a constant North Star in my life for 22 years,” Hopper wrote in a statement to WIZS News.

“Marion Lark was integrity personified,” he said. “He was first and foremost a pastor in the way of Jesus: feeding the hungry, caring for the sick. He was completely devoted to his wife Jean in good times and bad.  He loved his congregation like his own family, and he saw First Baptist’s role in making Henderson a place where Christ was shown and not just talked about.  He commanded respect through humility and through modeled action and servant leadership. He was a fine musician, was unbelievably well-read, and was the definition of wisdom.  The loss to First Baptist, to Henderson, and to the Christian community is immense.”

The Rev. Dr. Paul Baxley remembers his time learning from and alongside Lark. Baxley, now executive coordinator for Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, was 23 years old when he was selected to be associate minister at First Baptist. “He offered trust, encouragement, patience, grace and support to me in really definitive years of my ministerial life,” Baxley said of his fellow pastor and friend.

“Dr. Lark created an environment at The First Baptist Church in which the colleagues who were called to serve with him could use their gifts, grow in ministry and thrive. I was by no means the only person who benefitted richly from the freedom he provided and the trust he extended,” Baxley said in a statement Monday to WIZS News.

One of those individuals was Amy Russell. When she came on staff at First Baptist, Lark was retired and simply a member of the congregation. But Russell, now associate pastor of children and families at First Baptist Greensboro, said he supported her growth and development as a minister.

“After each sermon he would give feedback,” she said in a statement to WIZS News, “from ‘that one really made me think’ to ‘I struggled with that text, too’” Russell said.

“He was unafraid to share the truth of the gospel and it was always a privilege to get to hear him preach. He built a legacy at First Baptist Church of Henderson that shaped the congregation and the community. But he didn’t build a legacy for himself. He built a legacy as an outgrowth of his deep love for the church and for Henderson and Vance County.”

Henderson City Council member Garry Daeke shared a memory that he said resounds with him to this day. There was some discussion about downtown development – not a heated debate, but the topic had everybody involved and working hard to find a compromise and move forward.

It was Lark’s advice that Daeke tries to keep in mind with every decision he makes: “‘If we are to err, let’s err on the side of grace.’”

Daeke called Lark a “consummate gentleman who loved his community.” Lark always had time to discuss issues in the community, he added. “He would always thank me for my service.”

“Dr. Lark simultaneously embodied what it meant to be a deeply committed pastor to a congregation while also working actively for the well-being of a much larger community. He gave his life and his gifts for almost 50 years to Henderson/Vance County and to The First Baptist Church. In these ways, he was an embodiment of what it means for a pastor to be a community leader,” Baxley said.

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Cooperative Extension With Wayne Rowland: Timber Sale Agreements

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Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

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Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Vance County High School Kicks Off Season Friday Night

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LISTEN TO THE RADIO ON YOUR COMPUTER, PHONE OR CONNECTED DEVICE/SPEAKER – https://player.listenlive.co/53101 OR BY CLICKING ON LISTEN LIVE AT WIZS.COM OR TELL ALEXA TO “LISTEN TO WIZS.COM ON TUNE IN.”

Coach Aaron Elliott is excited.  And why shouldn’t he be?  The Vance County Vipers kick off their season Friday night against a solid Warren County Eagles team, and it should be an exciting start to the season for both schools.  “Practice has been great,” Elliott said on Thursday’s SportsTalk.

Tuesday’s weather kept them for practicing, but Elliott kept his team focused with plenty of board work, and as the rain moved out, the Vipers moved back on the field to prepare for Warren County’s triple option.  “Our guys will do a good job against it.  We have practiced against it,”  Elliott added.  He expects Warren County to be more run focused Friday night than in years past, with about a 50/50 split between run and pass.

This season the Vipers have put a big emphasis on winning the mental aspect of the game which he thought was a bit of a problem last year.  He knows it will be tough to keep the kids focused Friday night. “It’s a rivalry game and the first game of the season,” Elliott said.

Join Bill Harris and Doc Ayscue for live play by play of the game beginning around 6:50 p.m. immediately following the Joy Christian Center broadcast here on WIZS.

 

SportsTalk: Elam Goes To The Dogs

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Jim Elam has been fortunate to have two long careers.  The Warren County native spent over 20 years as an educator and coach.  He started in Johnston County at Princeton High School, and after getting married, decided he wanted to be closer to home.  His desire to return to Warren County would land Elam the head football coaching position at Halifax Academy and then in Roanoke Rapids where he coached the middle school football team.  It was while he was there that he became interested in training dogs.

“I learned from my father,” Elam said on Thursday’s SportsTalk.  He read books to add to his knowledge not knowing he would be able to turn his interest into a new, second career.  He sees a lot of similarities between coaching young people and training dogs.  “Some are more difficult and some are easier,” Elam says.

Elam says training for puppies begins at six weeks of age and at seven weeks he explains it is important to socialize them.  “The sit command is the place to start,” says Elam.  At seven months the formal training begins.

If you are interested in learning more about training retrievers, contact Jim at Lake Country Retrievers at 252-432-2245, on Facebook or at www.lakecountryretrievers.com.

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