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Wilson This Week -- March 28, 2025 |
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Hurricane Helene mutual aid recognition
The Wilson City Council recently recognized the heroic response by three city departments to Hurricane Helene last September. Wilson Energy, Wilson Fire/Rescue Services and Wilson Police Department all responded to the call for help by our neighbors in Western North Carolina.
- Wilson Energy crews worked in Boone, Drexel, Morganton & Shelby for 10 days restoring power amid flooding and heavily damaged electric systems.
- Wilson Fire/Rescue Services served in Asheville for 7 days to relieve first responders at Station 8.
- Wilson Police Department served in Shelby for 7 days to provide security, patrols, and essential support.
A huge thank you to our first responders for their incredible dedication and always stepping up when our neighbors call for help.
The Council also recognized the hard work of the ElectriCities of NC Mutual Aid program for coordinating a massive restoration effort across North Carolina and South Carolina. Ross Whitehurst represented ElectriCities.
You can watch the full presentation at the link below - it starts around the 8 minute mark.
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Hop into fun at the Easter Egg Dash - April 8
The annual Easter Egg Dash is on Tuesday, April 8, at 5:30 pm at Greater Wilson Rotary Park. Hosted by Wilson Parks & Rec and the Wilson Youth Council, this event is packed with excitement for children ages 1-9. Don't forget to bring your own basket!
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Wilson's Pickleball Grand Opening - April 11
Join us on Friday, April 11 at 6 pm for the official grand opening of Wilson's premier pickleball destination featuring 26 state-of-the-art courts. Festivities kick-off with a ribbon cutting ceremony plus food trucks, vendors, and community fun.
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Wilson hosts statewide stormwater workshop
Wilson recently welcomed the NC State Extension Water Resources Program Team for a stormwater solutions tour, bringing together experts from across North Carolina to explore how small and midsize communities can implement effective stormwater management strategies.
Wilson was selected for this workshop because our city's size makes stormwater solutions relatable and scalable for other towns. The tour highlighted three key sites demonstrating innovation, resilience and community benefits:
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Wilson Country Club - A high-tech stormwater system with draw-down sensors to help manage severe weather.
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Wilson Mall Redevelopment - A transformation that integrates stormwater solutions to enhance water quality, property values, and public spaces.
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Park Mercer - A floodplain repurposed to clean waterflow coming downstream from downtown Wilson before re-entering Hominy Creek.
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This workshop showcased how thoughtful stormwater planning can improve infrastructure, protect the environment and create more resilient communities.
Wilson GIS team shines at statewide conference
Wilson's GIS professionals recently attended the NCGIS Conference in Winston Salem, one of the largest state GIS gatherings in the country. The event brought together experts and students from across North Carolina to explore emerging trends and technologies in Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
During the conference Leigh Parker, GIS Analyst, moderated a session for the first time and attended a workshop on GIS for Public Works. Jeff Webb, GIS Specialist, also moderated a session and earned 2nd place in the state poster contest for his work highlighting residential, industrial, and commercial growth in Wilson. And Wilson GIS Services was a contender for the G. Herb Stout Award, recognizing excellence in local government GIS projects.
Wilson's GIS team continues to stay at the forefront of innovation, bringing valuable insights back to our city.
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Wilson recognized with Tree Line USA distinction
The City of Wilson recently celebrated Arbor Day including a brand new honor. The Arbor Day Foundation proclaimed Wilson its newest Tree Line City.
The award says that Wilson Energy is doing a great job of balancing the protection of our power grid with maintaining a healthy urban forest.
According to the Foundation, Tree Line USA partners demonstrate compliance to industry standards for pruning, planting, removals, trenching, and tunneling near trees. We also help encourage quality assurance related to:
- Utility pruning
- Integrated vegetation management
- Underground utility construction
Wilson Energy has agreed to provide best practice training at least once a year to employees, contract workers, and supervisors who perform or oversee right-of-way vegetation maintenance.
This link below has more information about caring for trees from the Arbor Day Foundation.
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Johnson & Johnson groundbreaking ceremony held
Last Friday, officials from Johnson & Johnson were joined by elected officials and community leaders to celebrate the construction of Johnson & Johnson's new Wilson facility.
Mayor Stevens kicked off the ceremony by officially welcoming Johnson & Johnson executives to Wilson and thanking all of the organizations who made this massive project possible.
We will share more soon about next steps for the city to provide the infrastructure to a facility like this one.
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Spring Clean Up Week: April 21 - 26
Mark your calendars -- the City of Wilson's annual Spring Clean-Up Week is April 21-26. That's the week Environmental Services picks up special items placed at the curb. So if decluttering is part of your Spring cleaning plans, now's the time to get started!
We will also hold our shred-a-thon, electronics collection and mulch giveaway that week. We will post more details as we get closer.
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Follow progress on city projects
A full list of the many projects happening in the city is available on the city's website (link below). We update the project page monthly but also post them to the city's LinkedIn page. Click on the LinkedIn icon at the bottom of this message to connect with us there.
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