Tag Archive for: #wizsnews

City of Henderson Logo

TownTalk: Henderson City Council Meeting

/by

The Henderson City Council approved a couple of requests aimed at giving local law enforcements more money in their pockets and an additional tool to help them in their job of keeping the city safe.

Chief Marcus Barrow said the police department is allotted 52 sworn law enforcement positions, but it currently has about a dozen vacancies. In two separate requests, Barrow asked Council members to take the equivalent of one police officer’s salary – $66,000 – and use it to place 25 camera-like devices across the city that can read license plates.

Barrow, along with city staff, want to take some of that unused money from the “salary” category and put it to work to help the current officers who patrol the city’s streets and neighborhoods.

The license plate readers, or LPRs, are small and only weigh about 3 pounds but they can have a powerful impact. Police can enter license plate information into the system and the LPR will “look” for matching tags. Whether it’s a stolen vehicle or a vehicle associated in other criminal activity, the LPR can help police narrow down searches.

Flock Safety will provide 25 license plate readers for the police department to use, and will in essence, take the place of one law enforcement officer.

Numerous nearby municipalities are already using Flock Safety or have contracted
with them for deployment in the near future. Local law enforcement is in constant contact with those agencies to help solve crimes that travel through various jurisdictions.

To drive home the point, Barrow said the use of LPRs in Durham helped provide information that proved useful in the arrests of three people in connection with the deaths of two men found in a car on Gholson Avenue last month. One of the suspects is from Durham, Barrow said.

It’s one way that the police department can work smarter, not harder, during times when agencies continue to experience vacancies, with little interest from prospective employees.

“Filling positions has become increasingly difficult, and law enforcement agencies
across the nation are seeking alternative solutions to supplement their shortages with technology and tools to assist their workforce,” states information from the council’s agenda packet.

But additional technology isn’t the only thing that Barrow is asking council members to consider: the council also approved a request to bump up salaries by more than $6,000 for current sworm officers as a way to make the base pay more competitive with nearby agencies.

The city raised the base pay a couple of years ago, and Barrow said that helped retention rates tremendously. But now, surrounding agencies are upping their game and implementing pay adjustments of their own.

“We are just past the midterm of our fiscal year and anticipate a $400,000 to $500,000 surplus in our approved salaries, wages and benefits. With most agencies in the Wake County area at a $50,000 starting salary, and comparable sized agencies at or near this mark, it is necessary that we develop a salary adjustment that will align with the market trend to help with officer retention and recruitment,” Barrow stated in remarks to council.

The salary adjustment of $6,456 for each sworn employee brings the hiring salary for an entry-level sworn officer to $48,959 – just shy of Wake County agencies, but more in line with neighboring counties’ pay rates.

Barrow said he surveyed 25 nearby agencies and only Louisburg Police Department is lower than Henderson’s. He wouldn’t expect to be able to compete with a Cary or a Wake Forest, he said, but the $6,456 boost will help the local department compete with similar-sized agencies.

“If nothing is done, we expect shortages to continue and retention efforts to dwindle as competing agencies further the gap,” Barrow reported.
If implemented this month, March the total cost, including benefits but not
including the pending retirement of a Lieutenant in March or April, is approximately $102,000. In FY 23-24, the total increase would be $315,000 in the Salary/Wage line item.

 

CLICK PLAY!

 

TownTalk: Boutique Contributes To Downtown Revitalization

/by

 

At the corner of Garnett and Montgomery streets, the plate-glass storefront that once showcased shiny stoves and refrigerators now offer up a different view, and it’s a welcome sign for downtown revitalization.

Kissy Robertson opened Rustic Barn Boutique last week, and she welcomes the folks from the community and beyond to stop in for a visit.

Thomas Appliance occupied this desirable location for many years, and Robertson told John C. Rose on Tuesday’s TownTalk that she is excited to give the retail location new life.

The store houses a collection of home décor, handcrafted items and custom clothing from a group of vendors, but “it’s not a cubicle layout,” Robertson explained. “It’s like walking into a store with (different) vendors’ items all mixed in.”

She said she knew that the city was trying to revitalize the downtown area. “I thought it was a great idea to open this in Henderson and be a part of this revitalization,” she said. It’s just another way to keep business local.

Shoppers will find an array of home décor and more, from refurbished furniture from Shabby Apple to fragrant hand-poured candles, custom jewelry and painted items, wreaths and door hangers, just to list a few.

The vendors are local and she hopes that shoppers will be, too. Robertson said she would routinely drive 30 minutes to an hour to shop simply because there were no stores close by.

She still has her day job, so has help to operate the store right now. She hopes to be able to embrace her “crafty” side soon and run the store herself full-time.

There’s still room for more vendors to join those already in the space, but there’s open space that would be perfect to host small events like baby showers and birthday parties.

And stay updated on their Facebook page to learn about upcoming pop-up events, vendor parties, paint parties and more.

Store hours are Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call the store at 252.572.2495 for more information.

 

CLICK PLAY!

 

Cooperative Extension With Paul McKenzie: What Works in the Garden

/by

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

Click Play!

 

The Local Skinny! The Viking Experience

/by

The Vikings are coming, the Vikings are coming – back. For the second annual Viking Experience, that is, to be held Mar. 25 and 26 at The Barn at Vino in Stem.

Hanna Reid, co-owner of the company that is part history lesson, part entertainment and part immersive experience, spoke with Bill Harris on Monday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

Last year’s event was such a success, they’ve upped their game for this year, Reid said.

“We were packed out last year,” she said of the interest and attendance. “We didn’t quite expect to grow out of the Expo Center in just one year.”

But folks came from as far away as Ohio and from all up and down the East Coast to attend the two-day event. And so far this year, things are shaping up for another successful event.

Activities begin at 10 a.m. each day; Saturday’s program ends at 6 p.m., with a dinner theater at 6:30 p.m. Activities end at 5 p.m. on Sunday. Day passes are available ($18 for Saturday and $15 for Sunday), or you can choose a $30 weekend pass. There are several add-on tickets available that get you into extra activities like “the fairy experience,” escape room and fight pits, Reid explained.

And of course, there will be vendors everywhere, selling craft items, as well as local food and drinks.

There will be music, education classes, dancing, and a family friendly theatrical day court program for everyone to enjoy. She said her mom (the other co-owner) counted up and close to 500 people, from performers and vendors to volunteers and support crew, will join forces to put the weekend events together.

“It’s a really humbling thing to see how many people make this event,” Reid said.

A cast of at least 30 will be present over the course of the weekend to act out a storyline that has Queen Hanna the Red (Reid) confront another warlord who fancies conquering the Queen’s land.

With one foot in the history and the other in fantasy and entertainment, The Viking Experience is sure to delight.

Visit www.thevikingexperiencenc.com to purchase tickets online and avoid the lines that weekend.

CLICK PLAY!

 

TownTalk: Henderson Police Considering Installation Of License Plate Readers

/by

Update 9:45 p.m. Monday:

The Henderson City Council unanimously approved, with two council people absent, both measures presented in more detail in the original noon news update listed below.

With those votes of approval, each sworn Henderson Police officer will receive $6,456 more in base salary except for exempt staff like captains, assistant chief positions and HPD Chief Marcus Barrow.  It sounded like from what City Manager Terrell Blackmon said during the meeting, those command positions would soon also receive a comparable increase and that it may be the same amount of $6,456.  In addition, the funding equivalent of the annual pay and benefits of one police officer, which is already funded but an unfilled position, will be used to implement the License Plate Readers.

Barrow said in the meeting that his patrol and investigation divisions need the most help right now.  He said the LPRs would help in both those areas and thus the whole police department.

The LPRs are electronic data, and Barrow said it was electronic data that led to the arrest of the three suspects in the recent Gholson Avenue homicides.

Chief Barrow provided a few additional facts the public may like to hear as well.

He said, “They are visible.  They are not hidden from the public.  They are motion sensitive.  They are not constantly recording.  They are identical to what is used at the toll booths.  This is not for speeding.  It will not take pictures of people, just motor vehicles.  This is the least invasive.”

He said to be fair the placement of the devices would be totally data driven.

Original Update Noon Monday:

The Henderson City Council is expected to act tonight on a couple of requests aimed at giving local law enforcement officers more money in their pockets and an additional tool to help them in their job of keeping the city safe.

The police department is allotted 52 sworn law enforcement positions, but it currently has about a dozen vacancies. In two separate requests spelled out in tonight’s agenda information packet, Chief Marcus Barrow wants to take the equivalent of one police officer’s salary – $66,000 – and use it to place throughout the city 25 camera-like devices that can read license plates.

Barrow, along with city staff, want to take some of that unused money from the salary pot and put it to work to help the current officers who patrol the city’s streets and neighborhoods.

The license plate readers, or LPRs, are small and only weigh about 3 pounds but they can have a powerful impact. Police can enter license plate information into the system and the LPR will “look” for matching tags. Whether it’s a stolen vehicle or a vehicle associated in other criminal activity, the LPR can help police narrow down searches.

Flock Safety will provide 25 license plate readers for the police department to use, and will in essence, take the place of one law enforcement officer.

Numerous nearby municipalities are already using Flock Safety or have contracted with them for deployment in the near future. Local law enforcement is in constant contact with those agencies to help solve crimes that travel through various jurisdictions.

“Filling positions has become increasingly difficult, and law enforcement agencies across the nation are seeking alternative solutions to supplement their shortages with technology and tools to assist their workforce,” states information from the council’s agenda packet.

But additional technology isn’t the only thing that Barrow is asking council members to consider: He wants them to bump up the salaries of current sworn officers by more than $6,000 to make the base pay more competitive with nearby agencies.

The city raised the base pay a couple of years ago, and Barrow said that helped retention rates tremendously. But now, surrounding agencies are upping their game and implementing pay adjustments of their own.

“We are just past the midterm of our fiscal year and anticipate a $400,000 to $500,000 surplus in our approved salaries, wages and benefits. With most agencies in the Wake County area at a $50,000 starting salary, and comparable sized agencies at or near this mark, it is necessary that we develop a salary adjustment that will align with the market trend to help with officer retention and recruitment,” as stated by Barrow and other city staff in information included in the agenda packet.

The salary adjustment of $6,456 for each sworn employee would bring the hiring salary for an entry-level sworn officer to $48,959 – just shy of Wake County agencies, but more in line with neighboring counties’ pay rates.

“If nothing is done, we expect shortages to continue and retention efforts to dwindle as competing agencies further the gap,” according to the agenda information.

If implemented this month, March 2023, the total cost, including benefits but not including the pending retirement of a lieutenant in March or April, is approximately $102,000. In FY 23-24, the total increase would be $315,000 in the Salary/Wage line item.

CLICK PLAY!

 

Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Edibles In The Landscape

/by

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

Click Play!

 

S-Line Rail Corridor

The Local Skinny! Latest On S Line Rail Service

/by

Plans for the proposed S-Line are chugging along, and Vance County commissioners got an encouraging update from NC DOT officials at their meeting earlier this week.

If all goes the way it’s supposed to, Henderson and Norlina will be stops along a yet-to-be completed passenger rail line that will connect the Washington, D.C. and the Northeast Corridor rail system all the way to Florida.

Julie White, deputy secretary for multi-modal transportation with DOT, joined Rail Division Director Jason Orthner and Ryan Brumfield, DOT’s integrated mobility division director at Monday’s meeting.

“We continue to see support of the corridor and interest from the U.S. DOT to invest,” Orthner stated.

This stretch of rail line that includes seven stops from Sanford to Norlina in North Carolina, is expected to serve up to 25 million passengers when it’s completed, sometime close to 2030. It will connect Raleigh and Richmond, VA.

Grant funding provided $950,000 for conduct studies for each of the proposed stops in Henderson and Norlina. There were multiple listening sessions in each area to gather community input and explain the project over the course of the past year or so.

The two local stops proposed in this stretch of the S-Line project are among seven, with others being Sanford, Apex, Wake Forest, Youngsville and Franklinton.

Ridership in North Carolina has increased steadily over the past five years, with the exception of 2020 when COVID-19 was in full force. In 2022, more than a half million people hopped on a train to get from Point A to Point B, according to information the trio shared with commissioners.

People are leaning into rail for transportation needs, Orthner noted. A fifth train is being added to serve the Raleigh to Charlotte market and this year roundtrip service between the two major urban areas is scheduled to begin.

The impact on the local economy could be big, and local leaders have been involved in discussions about potential station, or hub, sites in recent months as plans continue to progress.

This project has been in process since the early 1990’s and the corridor rail was acquired from CSX in 2020. Since then, there have been lots of studies and grant awards to keep the whole thing “on track,” no pun intended.

Brumfield said the community interest in creating the rail service has added to the success of the project. The creation of “mobility hubs” involves much more that a building where people wait to board a train, he said. It’s an activity center of transportation and a meeting space where energy ripples out into the wider community, positively affecting quality of life and accessibility and making communities more vibrant.

Commissioners asked questions, from length of time to get from Raleigh to Richmond (2 -2.5 hours) to what type of train traffic Henderson could expect to see along its portion of the rail line (continued freight service and faster passenger service).

Right now, CSX runs trains about 25 mph in the area, but high-speed service means that passenger trains could reach between 80 and 110 mph on northbound and southbound runs.

This project is one of 10 that the NC DOT Rail Division has across the state.

In their presentation to commissioners, the DOT team noted that this construction project will result in one of the most technologically advanced railroads in the Southeast, providing:

-110 mph passenger railroad

-91 new grade separations

-concrete ties

-high speed switches

-high level platforms

-freight bypass tracks

-positive train control and

-advanced signal systems

 

Once the Raleigh to Richmond link is completed, it will connect North Carolina and points farther South to Washington, DC and points up the Northeast Corridor, where rail service is a critical transportation component for commuters and other travelers.

Benefits to our region include:

  • Direct connection between urban centers by as many as 25 million passengers by 2040
  • Additional capacity and over and hour in travel time saved between NC and VA
  • Backbone of regional multi-modal connectivity including commuter rail, transit and active transportation
  • Critical to further expanding the NC passenger rail system
  • Provides freight network resiliency
  • Environmental benefits
  • Expands service to disadvantaged and underserved regions

WHAT’S NEXT:

  • Prepare and submit grant applications. There’s a grant funding match provided by the State Transportation Improvement Plan would combine local funding with state and federal grants. Application due April 21.
  • Develop and implement the first phase of the S-Line will be Raleigh to Wake Forest
  • There’s $4.5 billion available from 2022 FRA (a federal-state partnership)
  • Grant funding for ROW, final design and constructions.

CLICK PLAY!