Tag Archive for: #wizsnews

Perry Memorial Library

The Local Skinny! Events At Perry Memorial Library

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Vance County Commissioner Valencia Perry will join Melody Peters next week for a special Story Time program as part of Perry Memorial Library’s celebration of Black History Month.

“I’m so excited that she can come,” Peters said on Tuesday’s segment of The Local Skinny! “She’s amazing!”

Perry was elected to District 2 in 2024 and Peters, Youth Services director, said she is always interested in what’s going on at the library, so she invited the newly elected official to take part in Story Time from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 25.

The impending wintry weather shouldn’t pose a problem for that event, but Peters said it could adversely affect the student Library Club, scheduled to meet on Feb. 25 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

If schools are forced to cancel classes this week, it could mean that the students won’t have enough time to put the finishing touches on their latest project.

“Being out of school can throw things off,” Peters said. “If we have to reschedule, that’s what we’ll do.”

Peters offers the reminder that the library follows the same inclement weather schedule as the county, so check social media and the library website for updates on openings and closings.

Visit https://www.perrylibrary.org/home to learn more about the programs and services the library offers.

 

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Vance County Logo

TownTalk: Commissioners Question District 3 Hopefuls

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In a special called meeting Monday afternoon, Vance County Commissioners heard from the four candidates vying for the open District 3 seat on the board.

At the conclusion of the meeting, which lasted less than an hour, Chairwoman Carolyn Faines said she would like to reconvene next week – at a second special called meeting – to vote on which individual will be appointed to fill the seat vacated by Sean Alston more than a month ago. That meeting will take place Monday, Feb. 24 at 4 p.m. in the commissioners’ meeting room.

The four individuals are Doyle Carpunky, Charisse Fain, Jeanette Floyd and Charles J. Turrentine, Jr. They spoke, in turn, to commissioners about their vision, goals and experiences that they feel will help them if selected to fill Alston’s unexpired term.

Although the commissioners had received copies of their applications, several asked additional questions, ranging from their views on economic growth and the current jail situation to whether they’d consider running for the seat when it is next up for a vote in the 2026 election.

Turrentine, said he had planned to run in the previous election, but deferred to Alston after the two discussed the matter.

All four said they would plan to run for the seat when their appointed term ends.

Turrentine said his main goal is having a positive impact on young people.

“We’ve got to focus on our kids at an early age,” he said, to impress upon them the value of getting an education, a job and making contributions where you live.

“Education and public safety go hand in hand,” Turrentine said. “We’ve got to support our law enforcement…everybody has that right to feel safe.” Once the county has a handle on education and public safety, economic growth is sure to follow.

Fain, a registered nurse for more than 25 years, currently is a district director for clinical services for more than a dozen senior living facilities in the region. She said the county needs more services and programs for people who need mental health support, whether to address immediate needs or long-term needs like transition housing and recovery programs.

Floyd has been a pastor for more than two decades and has been the co-chair of Community Partners of Hope for the past couple of years.

In remarks to the commissioners, Floyd said she didn’t consider herself so much a politician as “a servant leader…making a difference in the lives of the people here.”

She cited the need for jobs and affordable housing in the county. Bringing in new industry creates opportunities for people to earn money so they can afford their housing, she said.

Carpunky said the county is moving forward in the right direction as far as attracting new business is concerned.

“We need to keep moving forward,” he said, “and not be detoured.” He said the countywide water system is an asset that is attractive to prospective business and industry.

Kerr Lake is another, he said.

“The houses are coming,” Carpunky said. “We have to make sure we have the services for them.”

Listen to the entire meeting at wizs.com to hear the prospective commissioners’ complete responses.

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Cooperative Extension With Michael Ellington: Upcoming Snow

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Cooperative Extension

Today’s show discusses upcoming snow in the forecast and why it might be just what you need for this season’s garden. Also shared were dates and registration information for events like market vendor trainings, backyard chicken workshops, and an opportunity to serve the community by gardening!

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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TownTalk: Interest In And Options For Public Transportation Growing In The Area

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UPDATE 2-18-25: Because of the weather, the Transportation Town Hall has been re-scheduled for March 17, 2025.

A community town hall-style meeting on the topic of public transportation is scheduled for Monday, March 17 in Oxford to provide information about the types of public transportation that are available now and to help shape the future of ride programs in smaller towns and cities and throughout rural areas.

The meeting will be held from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Orange Street Community Center, 125 Orange St., and is hosted by Down Home, NC, a grassroots non-profit organization interested in improving transportation for low-income residents.

KARTS, the local provider in the Kerr-Tar COG area, recently made the decision to drop the downtown shuttle in Henderson. Simply put, it was too expensive to continue, according to KARTS Director Randy Cantor, who told WIZS News that an Uber-style plan is scheduled to kick off in the next couple of months.

Cantor said he’d just gotten word from the state last week that the micro-transit plan is a go.

But Down Home, NC members Fred Johnson of Butner and Michael Hayes of Henderson said their organization feels that the estimated $5/trip one way cost is too much.

Among other things, the Thursday meeting will be a time to ask NCDOT representatives to set policy that makes micro-transit “fare free” for an introductory period.

Johnson said Brennon Fuqua, NCDOT’s director of its Integrated Mobility division has been invited to take part. State Sen. Terence Everitt, who represents Granville and Wake counties also will be in attendance, Johnson said.

A free fare period will go a long way to help change people’s behaviors and encourage them to use the micro transit option. “If we’re going to get people out of their cars,” lower fares than a $5 per trip fee are needed.

Johnson said he would like to see a point-to-point system, for example, to take people from a central location to the grocery store.

Hayes said he got involved in Down Home, NC last summer, upon hearing that the Around Town Shuttle was being discontinued. Hayes said he has used KARTS, as has his father, who uses a motorized scooter, to get shopping done.

“It just wasn’t feasible for KARTS to do it anymore,” Cantor said of providing the Around Town Shuttle. When the micro transit option begins, Cantor said he hopes to be able to provide a 15-20-minute turnaround time for riders. And, he said he’d like to be able to replicate the service in other counties in the future.

Cantor said people who need to use KARTS will be able to make a reservation via a smart phone app or computer, but they also will be able to pick up the phone and call to request transportation.

The smartphone app takes reservations and payments, he said. KARTS has a brand-new vehicle to use for the micro transit system that can accommodate wheelchairs, he said.

Visit downhomenc.org to learn more about the organization.

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NCHSAA

SportsTalk: NCHSAA Releases Third Draft of Conference Realignment

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SportsTalk 12:30 p.m. M-Th

On Friday, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) released their third draft for the reorganization of conference play, also known as conference realignment. The Association released its first draft of conference realignment back on December 18th, and the second on January 21st. Although this is the third draft, this is not the final draft. Schools will have a chance to appeal to the NCHSAA Board of Directors before the conferences are approved and confirmed for the 2025-26 school year. It will not be long before the final draft is confirmed from here on out.

Below are the Conference Realignments for teams in Vance County and the surrounding counties:

6A/7A Conference C

  • Vance County (6A)
  • Franklinton (6A)
  • Wake Forest (7A)
  • Heritage – Wake Forest (7A)
  • Knightdale (7A)
  • East Wake (7A)

1A/2A Conference E

  • Vance Charter (1A)
  • Oxford Prep (1A)
  • Falls Lake Academy (1A)
  • Discovery Charter (1A)
  • Excelsior Classical (1A)
  • Henderson Collegiate (2A)
  • Eno River Academy (2A)

4A/5A Conference A

  • Carrboro (4A)
  • J.F. Webb (5A)
  • South Granville (5A)
  • Orange (5A)
  • Cedar Ridge (5A)
  • Seaforth (5A)
  • Durham School of the Arts (5A)

2A/3A/4A Conference A

  • American Leadership Academy, Johnston – Clayton (2A)
  • Louisburg (3A)
  • Wake Prep (3A)
  • North Carolina School of Science and Math – Durham (3A)
  • Bunn (4A)
  • Nash Central (4A)
  • Roanoke Rapids (4A)

1A/2A Conference C

  • KIPP Pride (1A)
  • Southeast Halifax (1A)
  • Weldon (1A)
  • Warren County (2A)
  • Northwest Halifax (2A)
  • Northampton County (2A)

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Cooperative Extension With Wayne Rowland: Consulting Forester

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Cooperative Extension

Today on the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report, Wayne Rowland talks about Improving your forest by hiring a Consulting Forester.

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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SportsTalk: Wilkerson And UNC Gear Up For Baseball

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SportsTalk 12:30 p.m. M-Th 

Former Kerr-Vance Player and UNC Baseball Coach Daniel Wilkerson joins SportsTalk with Scout Hughes and George Hoyle to discuss the upcoming season for the Tar Heels.

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S-Line Rail Corridor

TownTalk: Mobility Hub Funding

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The Henderson City Council made its selection Monday for where the Mobility Hub would be located, which in turn sets in motion the next steps for the overall plan to bring passenger rail service back to Henderson.

The Council chose the iconic downtown First National Bank building over the Garnett Street Station, even though – ironically – that building once served as a train depot.

City and NCDOT officials presented both sites to the Council during its Feb. 10 meeting, complete with artist renderings and a list of pros and cons for each potential site.

Ultimately, the Council voted for the bank building, which has been vacant for decades.

It is unclear just how much it will cost to renovate the building in preparation for use as a mobility hub, which is one component included in the $21 million train station project.

If the mobility hub needed to be completed right now, the city would need to foot the bill. According to information from City Public Information Officer Salonia Saxton, however, that mobility hub won’t be needed for several more years – which gives local and NCDOT staff a bit of time to identify funding sources to help defray the cost.

Building construction and renovation, parcel acquisition, site development and a pedestrian railroad overpass are just a few of the facets of the project the city expects to fund, Saxton said.

She said the mobility hub is a supporting facility to the rail station and its platforms and is only a part of the $21 million estimate.

Next up for the site is completion of an environmental study by NCDOT.

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