Ronald L. Vaughan, 51, of 104 S. Chestnut St. was arrested Thursday afternoon and charged with solicitation to commit a felony.
Economic Partnership flexes its muscles
Looking for a sign of how powerful and/or important the Henderson-Vance Economic Partnership will be when it emerges from the shadows soon to announce its chairman and vice chair? Thursday night’s planned budget session for the city offered a hint.
Letter home: Stand up for change
Henderson is “my hometown”; I grew up there but have since relocated to Colorado. My family lives in Henderson, and because it is my home, I frequently visit and keep up with all the news via The Daily Dispatch and the HomeinHenderson Web site. Lately I have been disturbed by the things I have read and things I saw on my last visit. Let me pose the question to you, the people of Henderson, that has been running through my …
8 seek promotion to fire captain
City Manager Eric Williams did not update the City Council on the staffing situation Monday night, saying he will prepare a memo on personnel issues now that almost half of the city’s departments are facing vacancies at the top.
Bad water valve puts pressure on city
Henderson officials are juggling plans to spend tens of millions of dollars on utility infrastructure in the next five years, but a 24-inch valve is the immediate sticking point in the water system.
Opinion: Breckenridge wrong for Alive, wet or dry
The steel skeleton of the new library looms over piled construction materials alongside Breckenridge Street. We have listened and listened and listened to the debate about Alive After Five and beer sales and consumption on city property (an issue we’ll comment on at another time). But we fear that the City Council overlooked a more immediate problem than alcohol Monday night.
Pick of the day: A time for prayer
Today brings no limit of options for those who love meetings. Among them are a Vance County budget presentation at 5 p.m. at the old courthouse and a Henderson budget unveiling at 7 p.m. at the Municipal Building, a session that has the bonuses of a health insurance debate and a question-and-answer period with the city’s auditor. And we’d still love to be flies on the wall for the 5:30 p.m. meeting of the murky but powerful and private Henderson-Vance …
Auditor to appear Thursday night
This just in: Curtis Averette, the William L. Stark & Co. accountant who audited Henderson’s books last year, will attend a meeting Thursday night to answer City Council questions about the 2003-04 audit. Averette notified City Manager Eric Williams by e-mail that he will be at the meeting of the council’s Finance and Intergovernmental Relations Committeee at 7 p.m. in the Municipal Building’s conference room. Williams invited Averette to the meeting after the council voted 7-1 Monday night to ask …
Closing Municipal Building could pay for move
The city government appears to have found a way to afford the consolidation of offices in the Operations & Service Center and took a significant step toward leaving the Municipal Building during Monday’s City Council meeting.
Pick of the day: Farewell to a finance officer
The city of Henderson holds its second official farewell ceremony of the month this afternoon in honor of Finance Director Traig Neal. The open house in the council chambers at the Municipal Building is scheduled to run from 3 to 4:30 p.m. — strangely, a half-hour less than the city scheduled to say goodbye to Planning Director Grace Smith last week. Neal’s last day on the job is next Wednesday, and he has to survive at least one more Finance …
2 budgets, 18 audit questions loom Thursday
Thursday night will be budget time in Vance County with a fiscal doubleheader.
Williams offers answers to
City Manager Eric Williams issued answers Friday to eight budget questions City Council member Elissa Yount submitted April 18.
Council allows Alive After Five on city street
The Henderson City Council fell one vote short Monday night of making a “bold statement” about alcohol by blocking Alive After Five from a city street next month.
Fire closes apartments, reveals renovation risk
A fire that gutted one of 14 senior-citizen apartments in the former West End School on Chestnut Street exposed a vulnerability in old Henderson buildings renovated for housing, Fire Chief Danny Wilkerson said Monday night: Sprinklers are not required.
Two officers honored for valor
Mayor Clem Seifert and Police Chief Glen Allen congratulate Officers LaMont Burchette, left center, and Joseph Amos for receiving the Medal of Valor on Monday night. Two Henderson police officers received departmental awards for valor Monday night for risking their own lives to prevent a suicide in December.
Flint Hill voices rise in support of police
Flint Hill is happy with increased police patrols.
Pick of the day: Awash in water
The City Council’s Public Utilities Committee will meet at 5:15 p.m. at the Municipal Building as committee Chairman John Wester tries to resolve council member Elissa Yount’s concerns about proceeding with the 20-million-gallon-per-day expansion of the Kerr Lake Regional Water System plant. Yount worries about the need to replace the sewer plant.
On the agenda: A new effort on burned-out houses
City Manager Eric Williams will discuss with the City Council tonight a more aggressive approach to attacking some of the abandoned structures in Henderson.
Opinion: Berger, Seifert do their best to involve you
Sen. Doug Berger did something special Wednesday night. It’s unfortunate almost no one was there to see it.
Pick of the day: Speak up on cleanup
It’s hard to beat the excitement of a regular City Council meeting, especially when alcohol is a certain topic, but today should be the day that Mayor Clem Seifert’s Speak Up Henderson forum finally shines. Cliff Rogers and others from the Vance County Coalition Against Violence have vowed to be at the Municipal Building at 6 p.m. to ask/complain about the way the city sets priorities in picking among its 200-plus abandoned buildings for condemnation and demolition. If this combination …