Tag Archive for: #wizsnews

Granville County Employee Recognized By State Organization For Customer Service, Helping Coworkers In Tax Office

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— Courtesy of Granville County Public Information Officer Terry A. Hobgood, Jr.

Tax Collections Supervisor Tamonica Thorpe recently received the Outstanding Tax Collections Employee of the Year award from the North Carolina Tax Collectors’ Association. Thorpe was recognized for exemplary customer service to the citizens of Granville County and dedication to helping her coworkers.

Thorpe has worked for the Granville County Tax Administration Department for the last 10 years, which included a brief tenure with the Durham County Tax Administration Department. She began as a tax listing assistant before moving to Tax Collections assistant II, Tax Collections specialist, and Collections Supervisor – a role she has held  since 2019.

Thorpe is known for remaining patient and for always being willing to lend a helping hand, even during the most stressful situations. She is also known for creating games to help with training and professional development, including a tax-themed Jeopardy! game she devised to help teach her coworkers more about listing, assessing, collections and enforcement.

While continuing to work full-time at the Tax Administration office, Thorpe pursued her master’s in Public Administration from Liberty University. Her coworkers note that she has improved efficiency by collaborating with other divisions of the Tax Administration office to simplify procedures and reduce the time needed to complete standard tax listing processes.

“Tamonica’s motto is to work smarter, not harder,” said Tax Administrator Jenny Short. “I am so proud to have her as part of our team in Granville County and am thrilled that she was honored by her peers from across North Carolina. Every day, Tamonica exemplifies hard work and dedication, and she is so deserving to be named the Outstanding Tax Collections Employee of the Year.”

The NCTCA is a professional organization consisting of tax revenue directors and personnel representing counties and municipalities in North Carolina. The NCTCA provides members with education and training opportunities to perform duties to the maximum benefit of their citizens.

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TownTalk: KARTS FLEX Ride Is Right On Schedule

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In its first two months of operation, the KARTS FLEX Ride van is living up to expectations. KARTS officials say the goal is to increase ridership with each month of operation – so far, so good.

KARTS Executive Director Randy Cantor said the program is “going really well.”

Finance Manager Tonya Moore has the data to back up that sentiment – in June, the first month of operation for the Uber-style transit that operates within the city limits of Henderson – there were 242 riders. July isn’t even over yet, and ridership is at 253 and counting, Moore said on Tuesday’s TownTalk. She and Cantor discussed the new transportation opportunity available from KARTS.

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State and federal dollars are paying for the first three years of the micro transit. KARTS is one of a growing number of transportation agencies getting funds to establish micro transit programs.

“The goal is to increase every month,” Moore said. New passengers, not necessarily the same individuals who use the KARTS van service, are taking advantage of the new, streamlined system.

The door-to-door service helps people get to and from work, to doctor’s appointments or anywhere else within the city limits. Riders can book online, with an app on their phone or simply call the KARTS office to schedule transportation.

And the on-demand service can pick you up within 30 minutes.

“We’re keeping statistics,” Cantor said. “All of our trips have been 100 percent on-time performance. And there have been relatively few no-shows. There’s one vehicle in service now, but a second is available as demands for the service rise. And there’s a third vehicle that can be easily changed from a KARTS van to a FLEX Ride van, he said.

Each trip is $6, and the driver accepts cash, but KARTS said the process is much more streamlined if you pay by card or set up an account that automatically deducts the cost of the trip.

“The majority are scheduling on the app,” Moore said. “That’s exactly what we wanted to see – it streamlines the process for everyone involved.”

Both Cantor and Moore said they believe that ridership will increase further once the weather cools off.

“When it’s extremely hot, when it’s rainy, extremely cold, cancellations increase,” Moore said.

“People don’t want to get out in non-desirable weather.”

Visit https://www.kartsnc.com/ to learn more.

The Local Skinny! One Man Arrested In Connection With Gunfire Incident

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— information courtesy of Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow

 

At approximately 10:45 a.m. on Monday, July 28, officers with the Henderson Police Department were dispatched to the 300 block of Ruin Creek Road following reports of active gunfire. Upon arrival at 381 Ruin Creek Road, a medical clinic, officers, along with deputies from the Vance County Sheriff’s Office, located one of the individuals involved in the incident, Marquis Lamar Skinner, 37, of Oxford.

Shortly thereafter, officers learned that a second individual involved in the altercation, John Lee Sutton Jr., 43, of Manson, had arrived at a local emergency department with non-life-threatening injuries sustained during the incident.

As officers conducted their investigation, collecting statements, processing the scene and reviewing evidence, Skinner was taken into custody and transported to the Henderson Police Department. A firearm believed to have been used in the incident has been recovered.

Skinner has been charged with the following offenses:

  • Assault with a Deadly Weapon with Intent to Kill Inflicting Serious Injury
  • Discharging a Firearm into an Occupied Vehicle

He was presented before a magistrate and is being held without bond at the Vance County Detention Center awaiting his initial court appearance.

The Henderson Police Department extends its gratitude to the public for their cooperation and to the Vance County Sheriff’s Office for their invaluable assistance during this incident.

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Cooperative Extension with Michael Ellington: Spotted Lanternfly

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Michael Ellington, on the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report:

The following segment warns people of the dangers associated with the Spotted Lanternfly and tells people what to do if they find one.

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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Rebuilding Hope Inc. ‘Kids Construction Camp’ Aug. 6-8

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There are still a few spots available for Rebuilding Hope Inc.’s Kids Construction Camp, which gives young people an opportunity to learn about tools and how to use them.

The three-day camp takes place Aug. 6-8 at Rebuilding Hope’s facility, 414 Raleigh Rd. from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, said Tom Wille, co-director of Rebuilding Hope. The camp will be capped at 30; Wille said Monday there’s space for 5 or 6 more.

The camp is free and gives youngsters in 3rd-6th grade a chance to visit a variety of stations set up to learn about hammers and nails, electrical and plumbing, as well as block laying, roofing and more.

Wille said it’s a really good thing that the children get to learn some construction skills through hands-on activities, and “they learn a little about Jesus through the Bible Study,” he added.

Parents and guardians can find the application at www.rebuildinghopeinc.org or stop by the office, 414 Raleigh Rd. and pick up a paper copy.

The stations are mock-ups of real-life applications, but don’t worry – it’s all safe. The campers will be learning how to shingle a roof, but the roof is only waist-high, Wille said.

“Everything is safe, but they get the point to see how it’s done…see the tools that are involved,” he said.

The Kids Construction Camp could be a steppingstone to another opportunity for youth that Rebuilding Hope hosts each year: Servants on Site.

This weeklong program wrapped up last week, with 114 young people and even more adult volunteers working together to replace the roof on nine different homes in Vance and Warren counties.

“We were able to take the Gospel to our world – our Jerusalem, which is right here in Vance County and a couple of surrounding counties,” Wille said.

That in and of itself is good news, he said, but the even better news is that a number of youth participants and one of the homeowners professed their love of Christ during the week.

This year’s S.O.S. theme was “Follow Me,” and Wille said the participants got a chance to witness what it’s like to help those in need.

“They’ve made lifelong friends, seen things that they would (otherwise) not see and see how it directly affects the community around them. It’s a pretty awesome thing.”

The kids worked during the hottest week of the year and got a chance to see that hard work pays off – and makes a difference. “You get this opportunity to focus on thing of importance and things that matter,” he said. “It does become clearer…there are more important things than TikTok.”

The evenings were spent at Central Baptist Church, with high-energy Christian Rock music, a worship service, devotional time and small-group discussions about the goings-on of the day.

Several kids made the altar call, he said, a tribute to the power that comes with young people coming together to serve their community in the name of Jesus.

“We can talk about Jesus all we want to, but if we’re not out there relating to them, people are not going to see it,” Wille said.

“If we don’t get out there and show that compassion, that tenderness, the forgiveness, we don’t mirror God.”

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(This story was originally published July 1, 2025.)

Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Yellow Jackets

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Wayne Rowland, on the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report:

Yellow Jackets can be controlled at night by applying hornet spray into the nest.

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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