Cooperative Extension with Paul McKenzie: What Works in the Garden
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TownTalk: A Look At The Vance Co. Budget
Vance County residents can expect no increase in property tax rates or other fees if the commissioners approve the $55 million budget presented to them earlier this month.
The commissioners are expected to decide at their June 6 meeting, according to information from County Manager Jordan McMillen.
The proposed budget represents a 6 percent increase – or roughly $3.3 million – in the 2021-22 budget, and McMillen said the county is in a position to further plans to create a shell building in the industrial park, which will be a boost for future jobs and local investment.
The budget will use more than $1.6 million from the general fund balance.
“We do anticipate our fund balance increasing over the next year or so,” McMillen said in an email to WIZS News. He attributes this expected increase mainly to increased tax collections and, unfortunately, vacancies in some of the larger county departments and added that he anticipates moving additional fund balance money to plan longer term for future capital needs.
The property tax base is increasing $95 million from the prior year which, along with an increased tax collection rate, will account for $1.1 million in additional property tax revenue, according to the budget information presented to the commissioners for review.
The sales tax is projected to be $2.8 million more to the 22-23 budget than in the current budget. This increase will help fulfill recommendations from the recent salary study for county employees.
The proposed budget also has increased support for the fire department, with the addition of three new fire engineer positions – one for each shift.
McMillen said having such revenue growth in both property tax and sales tax is not something that the county is used to. “ I have not seen a situation where both property tax and sales tax were up to the degree it is right now,” he said. “Both are explainable when you look into what is making up the tax base growth and when you account for the pandemic’s impact on sales tax spending.,” he said, adding that he doesn’t anticipate it to be a “continual pattern.”
View the proposed budget here: https://www.vancecounty.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/MASTER-File-Website.pdf
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SportsTalk: Ryan Parker of Vance Charter Talks About Lacrosse and His Future
Ryan Parker has had a lacrosse stick in his hand since he was about seven years old. Now a senior at Vance Charter, that experience has paid off as the Knights went to the state playoffs this season compiling a 13-6 record. With 116 points on the season, Parker finished as one of the top scorers in the state. He started playing in his yard with his brother and credits him along with his coaches Dan and Dennis Sandlin for his love of the game and to his success.
The road has not always been an easy one. During his freshmen year, Vance Charter didn’t have enough players to field a team and during his sophomore year the Knights only had the opportunity to play in four games before cv-19 caused the team, like many others, to close up shop. During Parker’s junior year, fall sports were pushed to spring and that meant Parker was playing and practicing lacrosse and soccer at the same time, but all of that hard work paid off in his senior year with the Knights making the state lacrosse playoffs. “It was our best season,” Parker said. “The team bonded. We have a sense of brotherhood,” Parker added.
Parker is hoping to eventually become part of a Division I program and would love to go to Jacksonville University, but for now he will be heading to ECU in the fall and is planning to play club lacrosse. Parker will majoring in marketing and sales.
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Maria Parham Health: Memorial Day, No Greater Love
Memorial Day is coming up, and Thursday, May 26th at 10 a.m., Maria Parham Health will remember fallen heroes. The presentation called “Memorial Day, No Greater Love” will take place at the flagpole, weather permitting, in front of Maria Parham.
The public is invited to the event on the main, Henderson campus as those who have died in the performance of their military duties while serving the U.S. Armed forces will be remembered and honored.
The ceremony will include prayers, speakers, music, the hanging of a memorial wreath and the reading of names In Memoriam.
In the event of bad weather, the ceremony will move to the front lobby of the hospital. Either way, the address is 566 Ruin Creek Road.
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WIZS Radio Local News Audio 05-23-22 Noon
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Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: European Hornets
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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Henderson Sears Closing Its Doors June 27
There’s been a Sears store in Henderson for more than 60 years, but that’s about to change: the Sears store on Dabney Drive is closing its doors on June 27. Friday marked Day 1 of a liquidation sale, and Store Manager T.W. Floyd said business has been brisk.
Business used to be brisk when Floyd’s dad, Thomas Floyd, was the manager of the Sears store, too, from 1956 to 1986.
The senior Floyd retired after 30 years, and he reflected about his time with the company.
“I gave my life to Sears,” he told WIZS News via telephone Friday. There were long hours, to be sure, but Floyd said he loved every minute of it. “We were the center of sales,” he recalled. “We were busy, busy, busy.”
The first Sears location was right in the center of downtown on Garnett Street, Floyd recalled From there, the store moved to Rose Avenue and then ultimately, to its current 9,100 square foot location on Dabney Drive. Each store was bigger than the previous one, Floyd said, trying to keep up with demand for goods from customers.
But over the years, consumers’ buying habits changed, and corporate philosophy shifted to the smaller, hometown store model. The Henderson store is one of about 85 still in operation, but T.W. Floyd said that between the COVID-19 pandemic and the continuing supply chain challenges that retailers face, he decided to close the doors when the current contract is up.
Floyd owns the building where Sears is located, and he said Friday he didn’t expect any trouble finding a new tenant.
Floyd, who has managed the current store for 28 years, said both he and his dad followed the “old school” way of putting customer service at the top of the priority list. “It has served us well,” he added.
“We were fortunate to be in business for as long as we have been,” the younger Floyd said, and he said the store had always enjoyed good local support.
Both men said that change is a part of life that should be embraced. “Nothing in life stays the same,” Thomas Floyd said. “We have to adapt to change.”
One thing that IS the same, however is a freezer in the older Floyd’s basement. “I put it there in 1959,” he said proudly, “and it’s never given me a moment’s trouble.
No need to wonder where he purchased it – the brand name was Coldspot before it underwent a name change. To, you guessed it – Kenmore.
Kids Invited To Fish May 25 At Fox Pond
Young people between the ages of 5 and 18 are invited to come fishing at Fox Pond Park next week – just show up at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 25 and fish to your heart’s content until 7 p.m. All Fishing equipment will be provided and there is no registration to complete. The event is sponsored by The Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Department and the Edmonds Tennis & Education Foundation.
WIZS Radio Local News Audio 05-20-22
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MPH Staff Has An Oasis Room To Take Respite
Maria Parham Health staff now has an Oasis Room, designed just for them as a spot where they can just unplug and recharge – themselves and their phones.
With thanks to the hospital’s facilities team and suggestions from staff to the Resiliency Committee, the room was officially opened today (Thursday) and will open for everyone to enjoy come Monday, according to Kimberly Smith, director of the Cancer Center and member of the resiliency committee.
What once had been a spot with outdated lighting and carpeting that served as a hiding spot for storage racks has been transformed into a soothing, well – oasis – for MPH staff to come enjoy a few minutes of peace and quiet during their workday.
There’s a massage chair for relieving stress and a television that will play soothing music, Smith said.
“People can use it as a place to relax a little bit,” said CEO Bert Beard, before returning to the work of saving lives and caring for patients.
There will be snacks and drinks and a single-cup coffee maker for everyone to enjoy. There’s a spot to charge phones and a coloring wall, along with a board where folks can write positive messages to one another.
“We’re very pleased with the way the space turned out,” Beard said. Smith also gave special thanks to Josh Banks, director of the facilities team, for the extra effort they put in to making the room just right. “They just really have a heart to make things happen,” she said.
But that’s not all – Smith said she hopes to create a smaller version of the Oasis room on the patient floors for those nurses and others who aren’t necessarily able to come to the Oasis room during their shift. “Even if it’s a simple recliner,” Smith said, having a mini-oasis on the different floors would allow staff “to get away and reset themselves.”