Cooperative Extension
Today on the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report, Wayne Rowland talks about Improving your forest by hiring a Consulting Forester.
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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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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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UPDATE 2-13-25
(WIZS write up to follow here soon)
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For Immediate Release – From Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame – Date: January 24, 2025
On Saturday, January 11, 2025, the Vance County Sheriff’s Office (VCSO) received a 911 call at approximately 1:54 a.m. about a gunshot victim at 1300 Walters Street in Henderson, North Carolina. Vance County EMS and VCSO Deputies responded and discovered Donnie Ayscue suffering from a single gunshot wound. Ayscue died as a result of his injuries at his residence.
After an intensive investigation, 19-year-old, Deon Linshawn Bullock was identified as a person of interest.
Deon Linshawn Bullock is wanted in connection to Ayscue’s homicide. Bullock was last seen wearing a grey hoodie with grey joggers on January 24, 2025. See photo below.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is assisting the Vance County Sheriff’s Office in this active and ongoing homicide investigation.
Contact: Anyone with information on Deon Linshawn Bullock’s whereabouts should contact Henderson-Vance Crime Stoppers (252) 492-1925, the Vance County Sheriff’s Office (252) 738-2200, or the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations (1-800-334-3000 or sbiwebcontact@ncsbi.gov).
(Original post made to WIZS.com on Jan. 24, 2025)
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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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On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.
The Vance County Cooperative Extension is located at 305 Young St, Henderson, NC 27536
The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is located at 210 Southpark Dr., Henderson, NC 27536
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The Henderson City Council approved a resolution Monday that amends the Projects and Programming Budget to include $5,000 to be used by Mayor Melissa Elliott to pay for training and other programs she attends in her role as mayor.
The vote was 4-1, with Council member Sam Seifert casting the no vote. Voting in favor were Council members Michael Venable, Geraldine Champion, Ola Thorpe-Cooper and Tami Walker. Council members Sara Coffey, Garry Daeke and Lamont Noel were absent.
“We’re not asking for more money,” City Manager/City Attorney Hassan T. Kingsberry explained during the meeting, “we’re asking for the purpose to be expanded.”
Champion and Thorpe-Cooper both expressed support and said in the meeting that Elliott shouldn’t have to pay out-of-pocket for the various trainings she attends in her role as mayor.
“I see it as being unfair for her to have to come out of pocket…for training for the city,” Champion said.
Thorpe-Cooper agreed, adding that the trainings are beneficial. “We’re being taught – we’re being trained – so we can better serve. I am all in favor of it.”
Given the fact that the city has instituted a hiring freeze – an indication that revenues are not flowing in as predicted at this point – Seifert said he would prefer that the city consider using “fiscal constraint” at least while the hiring freeze is in effect.
He suggested that the city “keep the scope narrow as it was defined so that we show our part in keeping expenses down…while we’re under a freeze.”
According to the resolution presented to Council on Monday, the $5,000 is “subject to the fiscal controls and standard operating procedures currently in place and administered through the City’s Finance Department.”
The resolution further explains that Elliott has created several ad hoc committees created to help the city’s elected officials better understand the community with its diverse needs and desire for inclusivity, and that there needs to be a “nominal” budget to cover reasonable and justifiable expenses that arise with those committees and other special projects, continuing education, conferences, seminars and other programs.
Any expenditure would require approval by the city manager.
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The Henderson City Council on Monday voted to remove Council Member Garry Daeke as mayor pro tem and replace him with Council Member Michael Venable.
Daeke was not present at the meeting but told WIZS News Tuesday afternoon that he was not totally surprised by the decision.
“We saw this coming a month or so ago,” Daeke said, referring to the Council’s December meeting when Council member Geraldine Champion inquired about appointing a new mayor pro tem. “I had thought it was going to happen at some point, but I didn’t particularly know it would be last night,” he said.
“Childish shenanigans is what I’d call it,” he said. He said he had no idea why the change was made, in the middle of what normally is a two-year appointment, but said the Council needs to be talking about infrastructure, roads, water system and other matters that will help city residents.
“When you don’t know why it’s being done, you try to figure out what’s the reason behind it,” Daeke mused. “I don’t see any logic behind it – I see emotion or something else.” He described himself as someone who likes to have information before making decisions and not someone who automatically agrees with everything being said. “I like information and like to know both sides of the issue and I like to make my decisions based on informed information,” he said. “And I don’t think that’s appreciated.”
The mayor pro tem’s role is to fill in for the mayor when needed. And Daeke said he had only been called on a couple of times to fill in for Mayor Melissa Elliott, which he did.
“I wasn’t being utilized…for whatever reason,” he said. “You’re only utilized when you’re called to be utilized.”
Monday’s vote was 4-1, with Council Member Sam Seifert casting the no vote on the motion to make Venable the mayor pro tem, which was made by Council Member Geraldine Champion and seconded by Council Member Tami Walker. Champion, Walker, Venable and Council Member Ola Thorpe-Cooper voted in favor of the motion.
In addition to Daeke, also absent were Council Members Sara Coffey and Lamont Noel.
The vote took place after the council returned to the open meeting following a closed session to discuss a lawsuit, but it was not listed on the agenda as an item for discussion. Neither was that portion of the meeting available via livestream as the first part of the meeting; according to City Clerk Tracey Kimbrell, the IT person left the meeting after the council went into closed session.
City Manager/City Attorney Hassan T. Kingsberry told WIZS News Tuesday that he was “unaware that the Council would be removing Councilman Daeke yesterday,” and added that he had no other details than what was provided in the meeting.
According to information from the UNC School of Government, councils must choose a mayor pro tem at the organizational meeting, but it also can choose – with or without cause – to “vote to remove the MPT at any time, and appoint a new one.”
There was no discussion following the motion and the second before the vote was called.
WIZS News has reached out to Venable, Champion and Elliott for comment, but have not heard back as of 4 p.m. Tuesday.
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