Tag Archive for: #wizsnews

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TownTalk: Commissioners Begin Process To Fill District 3 Vacant Seat

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The Vance County Board of Commissioners handled several procedural items at the first scheduled meeting of 2025, including the steps to appoint a commissioner to replace Commissioner Sean Alston, who recently resigned to take a job as a magistrate in Warren County.

As County Attorney Jonathan Care’s explained, the board has 60 days from Jan. 1, 2025 to fill the seat vacated by Alston, who represented District 3.

“We’ve got to get this done by Mar. 1,” Care told commissioners. He indicated that the board most likely will have a called meeting in early February to discuss the nominations.

Individuals interested in being considered for the appointment need only be from the same political party and reside in the same district as Alston. Alston is a registered Democrat.

If a replacement isn’t made within the 60-day period, Care said the matter will go to the Clerk of Court, who will have 10 days to make an appointment.

The board will send a request for input to the local Democratic party. Care said he had drafted an application form for the commissioners to review and asked them for feedback before posting it by mid-January.

While the board should request input from the local Democratic party, Care said it “has no control over what this board does.” He added that the board has the right to receive and consider applications other than those proffered by the Democratic party.

Commissioner and newly elected Vice Chair Yolanda Feimster requested that the information be sent to media outlets – including local newspaper and radio – to let as many people as possible know about the appointment process.

Perry Memorial Library

The Local Skinny! Perry Library Kicks Off 2025 Youth Programming

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It’s a New Year at Perry Library and staff have planned some exciting programs to offset winter’s cold – from gluten-free volcano construction to Wii games in the teens’ Maker Space.

Youth Services Director Melody Peters said that in addition to the return of program staples like Mother Goose Story Time for youngsters 0-5 years at 11 a.m. on Thursdays, library patrons can take part in First Fridays for preschool groups beginning this Friday, Jan. 10.

Technically, Jan. 10 is the second Friday, but Peters told WIZS’s Bill Harris that the New Year’s holiday created a slight scheduling wrinkle.

The initial First Friday activity targets children ages 3-5 involves making a volcano, Peters said, using baking soda, almond flour (so it’s gluten-free) and vinegar. The program begins at 10:30 a.m. and lasts about a half hour, and Peters said it covers all the bases for engaging preschoolers in hands-on activities while exposing them to science – on this case, the chemical reaction created by mixing baking soda and vinegar.

The Lego STEAM club and gaming club meet on Thursdays from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., and it’s a time for children to get their imaginations flowing as they creatively build with those iconic colorful plastic bricks. Teens gather in the Maker Space for games on the Nintendo Wii.  But for the younger kids, there’s the “regular, good old-fashioned” board games – “Don’t Break the Ice!” is a particular favorite, Peters said. The library also has a Pokémon game for young people to join in the fun of collecting those still-popular trading cards first introduced in the mid 1990’s.

Find out more at https://www.perrylibrary.org/.

 

Cooperative Extension With Michael Ellington: Livestock Consideration In Cold Weather

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Cooperative Extension

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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Hassan Kingsberry To Fill Dual Roles; City Manager and Part-Time City Attorney

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Monday at noon the Henderson City Council met for a special called meeting and entered into closed session for a personnel matter.

When the council returned to council chambers at City Hall, Mayor Melissa Elliott seemed to indicate the council would hear two motions.

Hassan Kingsberry, who became interim city attorney after Rix Edwards resigned and who was apparently named the city manager a couple of weeks ago, will now serve as both the city manager and part-time city attorney.

City Manager Terrell Blackmon, also who has resigned with an effective date of January 10, said after the meeting that the meeting was held “to approve the contract and make public the salary.”

Sara Coffey made a motion, seconded by Ola Thorpe-Cooper, to start the new manager at the salary of $161,906.40, the amount apparently being considered as a level two salary for the position out of a one-to-four range.

A City of Henderson press release issued after the meeting said of the now dual role Kingsberry’s salary, “(He) will begin his role as City Manager with an annual salary of $161,906.40, which represents a savings of $18,000 compared to the salary of the outgoing City Manager, Blackmon. Additionally, he will earn $40,000 annually as the part-time City Attorney.”

The second motion, made by Michael Venable and seconded by Geraldine Champion, was to move Kingsberry from interim attorney status to part-time City attorney.

Tami Walker, Thorpe-Cooper, Venable, Coffey and Champion each voted in favor of each motion. Councilmen Garry Daeke, Lamont Noel and Sam Seifert were not present.

As to possible conflicts of interest in the dual position, Blackmon said, “I use outside counsel all the time.” He said there would “probably be some matters (Kingsberry) can’t advise on.”

The City’s press release said, “Prior to (Kingsberry’s) appointment as City Attorney, the City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Legal Services, but no firm or individual responded.”

Kingsberry is scheduled to be sworn in as the new City Manager at City Hall in the Council Chambers on Monday, January 13, 2025, at 6 PM.

Kingsberry is the first African American to be City Attorney for Henderson, NC.

(Script above added and updated 5:30 p.m. Monday, January 6, 2025)

(Audio below added to post Tuesday, January 7, 2025)

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TownTalk: Vance Commissioners Elect Vice Chair, Hold Public Hearing On 2025-26 Budget At Monday Meeting

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Update 10:25 p.m. on 1/6/25:

The Vance County Board of Commissioners elected Yolanda Feimster as its new vice chair at its meeting Monday evening.

The board also held the first of two public hearings to hear from residents about priorities for the 2025-26 budget during its first regular meeting of the year, and the first meeting with Carolyn Faines as chair. Faines was elected to lead the board during a special called meeting last week, following Sean Alston’s announcement that he was stepping down to take a job as a Warren County magistrate.

Several residents spoke during the public hearing, which lasted about 15 minutes, but their messages shared a common theme: reconsider the current tax rate and have a revenue neutral budget in place for FY 2025-26.

Laura Perkinson told commissioners she owns properties in both the city and the county, and she advocates a revenue neutral budget. During her four minutes of allotted time, Perkinson also said property owners should not be charged late fees when paying 2024 tax bills “so we all can catch up.”

The deadline to pay without incurring a 2 percent penalty was today, Jan. 6.

Caroline Burnette has spoken to commissioners during previous public comment periods and she reiterated her concerns about the current tax rate. Burnette asked the commissioners to reconsider the tax rate and said the board should be held accountable for raising the rate during the most recent budget process.

Lee Chandler said he wants to see budget cuts and next year’s budget be “below revenue neutral.”

When Commissioner Dan Brummitt stood up and moved away from his seat briefly, Angela Ryan paused her remarks to the board, stating that she would wait for Brummitt’s return.
“We need to be heard and I want to make sure that I am,” Ryan said.

In remarks following comments from the residents, Commissioner Leo Kelly said “We hear you.” Kelly said he’s lived in Vance County his entire life, and when he voted on the budget, it meant his taxes went up, too.

“I paid my taxes, (but) I paid them grudgingly,” he said.

Before the public hearing was closed, Brummitt thanked those who had approached the podium to address the board. He commented that in his close to two decades as a commissioner, Monday’s hearing was “only the second public hearing where people have spoken.”

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Update 2:15 p.m. on 1/6/25:

The Vance County Board of Commissioners is expected to elect a new vice chair at the first regular meeting of 2025 scheduled for this evening, following last week’s resignation of Commissioner Sean Alston, who stepped away from the board to accept a magistrate’s position in Warren County.

The board unanimously elected Carolyn Faines as chair of the board during a special called meeting on Monday, Dec. 30, but tabled a vote to elect vice chair.

The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. According to the agenda, selection of a new vice chair will be the first order of business, followed by several appointment and then a public hearing to collect comments from county residents as county leaders continue planning for the 2025-26 budget.

The public hearing on the budget is listed as Item 6 on the agenda. This public hearing is the first of two that are scheduled; the second is scheduled for June 2 – after the recommended budget has been submitted to commissioners for review.

Other items for discussion from County Manager C. Renee Perry’s report to the board include the fire marshal budget, amendments to the personnel policy, jail inspection reports from 2023 and 2024, sheriff legal fees, board work sessions and the EMS substation.

View the meeting at https://www.youtube.com/@VanceCountyNC/streams.

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Update 1/5/25:

Straight from the Vance County Commissioners meeting 1-6-25 agenda, the meeting will include within the first few items a fiscal year 2025-2026 pre-budget public hearing.

The public notice says, “The Vance County Board of Commissioners will conduct a FY 2025-26 Pre-Budget Public Hearing at 6:00 p.m., or shortly thereafter, on January 6, 2025 in the Commissioners’ Meeting Room at 122 Young Street, Henderson, NC.”

Before the Board of Commissioners begins work on next year’s budget, the board “is interested in receiving suggestions and priorities from residents to help them in the development of the budget.”

This is one of two required public hearings that will be held on the budget.

“The county manager will submit a recommended budget in May and a second public hearing will be held on the proposed budget on June 2, 2025,” the notice within the agenda states.

The budget is supposed to be adopted before July 1, 2024.

The agenda says, “This notice was published on December 24, 2024,” which in North Carolina means it was published in the newspaper.

TownTalk Broadcast 1-6-25 Prior to Meeting!

Cooperative Extension With Wayne Rowland: Woodscaping

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Cooperative Extension

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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The Local Skinny! Variety Wholesalers To Add Big Lots To Its List Of Stores

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Henderson-based Variety Wholesalers is acquiring hundreds of Big Lots stores and a couple of distribution centers, practically doubling the number of retail stores it operates in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic.

Add Big Lots to the 380 or so Roses, Roses Express, Maxway, Bill’s Dollar Stores, Super 10, Super Dollar and Bargain Town stores that currently are operated by Variety Wholesalers.

The deal is part of a sale announced Dec. 27 to Gordon Brothers Retail Partners which  enables the transfer of between 200 and 400 Big Lots locations to Variety Wholesalers, according to information provided by Big Lots, Inc.

Big Lots filed for bankruptcy in September 2024.

Lisa Seigies, Variety Wholesalers’ president and CEO, said, “We are excited to partner with Gordon Brothers to provide a path forward for the Big Lots brand and hundreds of its stores. We look forward to working with members of the Big Lots team to realize the exciting opportunities ahead.”

Bruce Thorn, Big Lots’ president and chief executive officer, said, “The strategic sale to Gordon Brothers and the transfer to Variety Wholesalers is a favorable and significant achievement for Big Lots that reflects the tireless work and collective effort of our team. This sale agreement and transfer present the strongest opportunity to preserve jobs, maximize value for the estate and ensure continuity of the Big Lots brand. We are grateful to our associates nationwide for their grit and resilience throughout this process.”

Rick Edwards, Gordon Brothers Retail Partners’ Head of North America Retail, said, “We are pleased to reach this strategic agreement with Big Lots and partner with Variety Wholesalers to achieve a path forward that allows Big Lots to continue to serve customers with extreme bargains and an outstanding shopping experience.”

 

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