Sims Town Hall will be closed Wednesday, December 24th, Thursday, December 25th, and Thursday, January 1st. Trash pickup will run as scheduled on Thursday, December 25th, Christmas Day. If you are in need of assistance during this time, please visit our website and Facebook page for up-to-date information. We would like to wish everyone a safe and Happy Holiday Season!
Fire Hydrant Testing Notice
Given the Wilson County/Town of Sims water contract, we would like to pass the following information on to our customers.
Beginning Monday 12/15 through Friday 12/20, Rock Ridge Volunteer Fire Department will be conducting hydrant testing in Wilson County’s Southwest Water District.
Fire hydrant testing may cause temporary inconveniences such as an expected reduction in water pressure and aesthetic issues such as discoloration of the drinking water. Discolored water poses no threat to the public’s health, but can stain laundry and if consumed, may have an unpleasant taste. Residents should be certain that all discolored water is out of their home’s plumbing and hot water heater prior to washing clothes or consuming water. If you notice discolored water coming from your fixtures, please flush the cold water side for approximately 15 minutes.
If you experience continued loss of pressure or water discoloration for longer than 12 hours, please contact our emergency number at 252-265-8017 and leave your address and contact information.
We appreciate your cooperation and apologize in advance for any inconvenience. Thank you for being a Wilson County Water Services Customer.
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TRASH PICKUP FOR THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
Trash pickup is scheduled to run on its usual day, Thursday, Nov 27th, Thanksgiving Day. Don’t forget to put it out Wednesday, the night before, as we do not know what time they will be in town. If you have any questions, please contact Town Hall during normal business hours.
Changes to Town of Sims Cash Payment Policy
The Town of Sims will only be accepting exact change as of January 1, 2026.
The United States Mint has stopped producing new pennies, and many of the pennies in circulation are not returning through banks. As fewer coins circulate, banks are increasingly unable to meet penny requests in change orders. Many local governments throughout the state of North Carolina have already begun to experience challenges in collecting cash payments.
You can still pay all utility bills and permitting fees using cash. However, if you do not have exact change, you may apply any change due back - to your account balance. As always, you can pay with check, money order, pay with card in-person or online at Online Bill Pay — Town Of Sims. A $3.00 convenience fee will apply.
2025 Municipal Election Results
Following a closely contested election, Sims voters have re‑elected the incumbent Town of Sims Board of Commissioners. Congratulations to:
Eddie Henderson
Heather Burke
Kaleb Woodard
Thank you to every candidate and to all residents who cast a ballot—your participation keeps Sims strong.
The outcome reflected in the unofficial totals is expected to be affirmed during canvass and then certified by the Wilson County Board of Elections in the days ahead.
The swearing‑in for all re‑elected commissioners is scheduled for the December Board of Commissioners meeting.
Disclaimer: Results remain unofficial until certification by election officials.
Tras unas elecciones muy disputadas, los votantes de Sims han re‑elegido a la actual Junta de Comisionados de la ciudad de Sims. Felicitaciones a:
Eddie Henderson
Heather Burke
Kaleb Woodard
Gracias a todos los candidatos y a todos los residentes que emitieron su voto—su participación mantiene a Sims fuerte.
Se espera que el resultado reflejado en los totales no oficiales sea confirmado durante el sondeo y luego certificado por la Junta Electoral del Condado de Wilson en los próximos días.
La juramentación de todos los comisionados reelegidos está programada para la reunión de la Junta de Comisionados de diciembre.
Descargo de responsabilidad: Los resultados permanecen no oficiales hasta la certificación por parte de los funcionarios electorales.
Changes to Town of Sims Solicitation Ordinance
Current State Legislation deems it unconstitutional for a municipality to enforce a blanketed no-solicitation policy. Please see ( G.S. Chapter 160A, Article 8 (160A-174 et seq. and (G.S. 160A-178).
Therefore, the Town of Sims Board of Commissioners voted at the last meeting, Monday, October 13, 2025, to make changes to the Town of Sims Solicitation Ordinance effective immediately.
Changes to the Sims Town Ordinance include the following:
Section 62.02 Permit required-It is unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to sell, offer for sale, or solicit orders for goods, wares, merchandise, food, periodicals or services by going from door-to-door ("peddle" or "solicit") within the town without having first secured a peddler/solicitor's permit from the town as provided for in this section, unless it is done with the prior request or invitation of the residents or occupants of the premises visited. Each individual engaged in solicitation must be in possession of a permit, even those employed by the same company. Additionally, it is unlawful to peddle or solicit unless the following requirements are met:
1) Such peddling/soliciting shall be permitted only between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 7:00p.m., Mondays through Saturdays. Peddling/solicitating shall not be permitted on Sundays or Holidays.
2) The peddler/solicitor permit issued for that person shall be carried and displayed at all times while conducting such solicitations in such a manner as to be clearly visible to a reasonable person of adequate vision.
3) All other permits or licenses required by law shall have been obtained.
Should you be visited by a peddler/solicitor, you are authorized to ask for their Town of Sims permit to be displayed. If they cannot present one, please direct them to Town Hall to obtain one. If you ask such peddler/solicitor to leave your home and they ignore the request or put up resistance, please call the Wilson County Sheriff's Office Emergency Line.
While peddling/soliciting town wide is not prohibited within the parameters of the Town Ordinance, it is unlawful for such to approach a home with intent to solicit when the property is clearly marked with a No Soliciting Sign. Incidents of this manner may be reported to the Wilson County Sheriff's Office Emergency Line.
The Town of Sims would like to provide citizens with a No Soliciting sticker to place in a high visibility location at their homes or place of business. Please look out for this sticker with your next billing statement. If you do not receive your billing statement with the enclosed sticker, you may visit Town Hall during normal business hours to request another.
To see full ordinance click here.
HELP END HUNGER IN OUR COMMUNITY
Please join us for the 5th Annual Community Park Celebration Event, Saturday, October 11th, from 10am-4pm. Admission is free, however we ask that if you are able, please bring a non-perishable food item for donation to the Family Food Basket. Your generosity will help those in need within our community.
Please visit the Town of Sims Welcome Table where there will be a designated collection station upon arrival. Every donation counts in making a difference. Thank you for your support!
TOWN OF SIMS PRESENTS MOVIES IN THE PARK
Movies in the Park - Sat 8/23 at 8pm, 6215 Broad St.
Rain or Shine, the show must go on! In the event of rain at Saturday's Movie in the Park, the movie will be moved inside the New Community Center Building located at 6249 Main St. You will still need to bring chairs or blankets, but you will be on concrete instead of grass. Free popcorn and snow cones for everyone!
Join us at 8pm for Pixar's Inside Out 2, see you all there.
Parking will be in the following locations:
*Town Hall lot 6501 US Hwy 264Alt W
*Community Center Building at 6402 US Hwy 264Alt W
*Broad St across from the water tower, there is a small area. Turn on Broad from US Hwy 264Alt W, Broad St will be closed on the Green Pond side down to the water tower
*Handicapped - Lot in front of the new Community Building, 6249 Main St/Green Pond
NCDEQ REMINDER OF OPEN BURN LAW
DEQ reminds residents, businesses that burning trash is against state law
– The open burning of trash, metal, plastic and all other man-made materials not only harms the environment and poses a public health risk, it’s against state law.
During the summer and fall burning season, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality is reminding North Carolinians: If it doesn’t grow, don’t burn it. Open burning is only allowed in limited circumstances and only for vegetative materials like leaves, limbs and yard debris.
The open burning rule, the state’s oldest air quality regulation, limits what can be burned outdoors and when. Other requirements of the open burning rule:
Residential yard waste and commercial land clearing burning can only occur between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. No new vegetation can be added to a burn pile after 6 p.m.
Burning is only allowed when the air quality forecast is Code Green or Code Yellow. Burning on Code Orange, Red or Purple days is prohibited. Check your county’s air quality forecast at the online Air Quality Portal.
Yard waste must originate at a private residence and be burned on that site. In other words, residents can only burn vegetation from their own yard — not yard waste from other homes or locations.
Burning of yard waste is only allowed if permitted under local ordinances and only if public pickup of yard debris is not available.
Campfires, outdoor cooking fires and bonfires are permissible, unless prohibited by local ordinances or temporary burn bans, provided that only vegetation such as firewood is burned. Fires must be controlled and never left unattended.
Commercial land clearing operations are also limited by the open burning rule. Land clearing is the uprooting or clearing of vegetation in connection with construction, land development or mining, or the initial clearing of vegetation to enhance property value. The burning of this debris must comply with all open burning rules, including the following key restrictions:
As a general rule, the vegetation should originate on the site where the burn is taking place. (Land clearing waste can be transported and burned at another site up to four times a year only if specific conditions in the open burning rules are met).
Kerosene or diesel fuel may be used to start a land-clearing fire, but no other man-made materials can be burned.
Land clearing burn piles must be at least 500 feet from occupied structures and at least 250 feet from any public road when the prevailing winds are blowing toward the road. Information on wind direction is available from the National Weather Service.
The Division of Air Quality enforces the state open burning rule, partnering with local law enforcement, firefighters and fire marshals, and the N.C. Forest Service to ensure compliance. Violators can be fined up to $25,000 per violation per day. To submit an open burning complaint, contact the DEQ Regional Office that serves your county. Anonymous complaints can be submitted via our online tool.
Careless debris burning is the leading cause of wildfires in North Carolina. The N.C Forest Service may require an open burning permit before certain fires are lit, including fires in protected areas. The Division of Air Quality does not issue burn permits. Burn permits are available through the N.C. Forest Service’s online application at ncforestservice.gov/burnpermit or by contacting a local N.C. Forest Service county office or local permitting agent. For more information, contact the N.C. Forest Service.
Local county and municipal governments may have more stringent burning restrictions than state law. Contact your local officials to learn what burning rules may be in place where you live.
The open burning rule includes exceptions for certain special burns, including firefighter training exercises and prescribed burns. For more information about open burning, and to watch a video that reviews these state laws, visit DEQ’s Open Burning website.
If you need this information in Spanish or another language, call 919-707-8446 or email Shawn.Taylor@deq.nc.gov.
TOWN OF SIMS WELCOMES NEW LEAD FOR NC FELLOW
Please help us welcome Yuki Hellis. She has been selected to work with the Town of Sims as a Lead for NC Fellow. This position is 1-year placement through the UNC School of Government and AmeriCorps. The program offers young people an opportunity to work closely with government agencies across the state, learning the ins and outs of day-to-day processes. Yuki is a recent graduate of Western Carolina University where she earned dual BAs in International Studies (Asia concentration) and Anthropology (cultural concentration).
Yuki contributed to the Environmental Mural Project with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, highlighting Indigenous history and environmental relationships in Cullowhee. She also served as a SECU Public Fellows Intern at JCI’s Cyber Cafe and volunteered with Cornbread & Roses, a 2SLGBTQIA+ nonprofit supporting marginalized communities in rural Western North Carolina.
She is lifelong Johnston County resident. The youngest of 3 children, her mother is from Miyazaki Japan, and her father is from Indiana. Yuki enjoys cooking and birdwatching. Please take a moment to stop by and welcome her to our lovely town.
Movies in the Park - Sat 7/19 at 8pm, 6215 Broad St.
Rain or Shine, the show must go on! In the event of rain at Saturday's Movie in the Park, the movie will be moved inside the New Community Center Building located at 6249 Main St. You will still need to bring chairs or blankets, but you will be on concrete instead of grass. Free popcorn and snow cones for everyone!
Join us at 8pm for A Minecraft Movie, see you all there.
Parking will be in the following locations:
*Town Hall lot 6501 US Hwy 264Alt W
*Community Center Building at 6402 US Hwy 264Alt W
*Broad St across from the water tower, there is a small area. Turn on Broad from US Hwy 264Alt W, Broad St will be closed on the Green Pond side down to the water tower
*Handicapped - Lot in front of the new Community Building, 6249 Main St/Green Pond
NCDOT FALL LITTER SWEEP
The 2025 Fall Litter Sweep is just around the corner, and your help is needed keeping North Carolina beautiful! The sweep will run from Sept. 13-27.
Traditionally scheduled for the last two weeks of April and September, Litter Sweep is the N.C. Department of Transportation’s biannual statewide roadside litter removal initiative. Residents throughout the state participate in local efforts to help clean up North Carolina's roadways.
In addition to volunteers, NCDOT maintenance crews devote one week of their time to pick up litter and collect orange bags placed on the roadsides by volunteer pickups.
Volunteers are provided cleanup supplies, such as reversible orange/blue trash bags, gloves and orange safety vests, from their local NCDOT County Maintenance Yard office.
If you or your team needs supplies, or if you have any questions, contact your local NCDOT litter program coordinator or the Wilson County Maintenance office at (252) 640-6460.
SIMS TOWN HALL HOURS OF OPERATION
Town Hall will be closing at 5pm on Fridays effective immediately. If you need to pay your utility bill there are several ways to do so. You can mail cash, check or money order to PO Box 161, Sims, NC 27880. You can pay in person at 6501 US Hwy 264Alt W, with cash, check, money order, or debit/credit card. You can also drop cash, check and money orders in one of the two overnight deposit boxes located on the front and rear of Town Hall. There is an online payment portal located at Online Bill Pay — Town Of Sims. Utility bills are always due on the 28th of the month. If you have any questions, please reach out to Town Hall administration during normal business hours at 252-237-4226, or by email info@townofsimsnc.com
Hours of operation:
Mon - Fri: 9am - 5pm, closed from 1-2pm for lunch daily.
FOLLOW UP ON THE PROPANE POPPERS
The Town of Sims would like to report the loud noises from the 'propane poppers’, just outside the town limits, has continued to be a concern for its residents. Not only are these explosions occurring during the daytime, but they also persist throughout the night. As you may recall, the local farmers have been using small propane explosions to frighten and confuse wildlife that is threatening their crops.
While the Town of Sims does have a noise ordinance, these locations are all outside of the town limits. However, Wilson County also has a noise ordinance that encompasses the nighttime explosions.
The Wilson County Sheriff’s Office has recommended that should anyone feel that their peace is being disturbed after 11pm, due to the explosions, call 911 to report the incident.
LOUD EXPLOSIONS HEARD IN TOWN OF SIMS
Several residents in the Town of Sims have reported hearing loud random explosions as of late. In an attempt to keep the abundance of deer out of the current fields of crops, farmers have had to take somewhat of a drastic measure.
Leaving the Town of Sims, heading south on Main St/ Rock Ridge Sims Rd, on the right, you will notice large fields used for farming. When passing by, take note of the multiple scarecrows displayed in an attempt to keep away pests. These and other methods are being used to scare away the extensive deer population in that area.
One of the measures currently employed are Propane Poppers. Small bottles of propane have been set to randomly explode to frighten and confuse the deer. These explosions are the cause for the loud noises being reported to Town Hall.
Please do not be alarmed, as these explosions are closely monitored and are secluded from nearby residents.
TOWN OF SIMS COMMUNITY ALERT BULLETIN
Saturday, May 10, between approximately 4:30pm and 8:30pm, three male adolescents were spotted banging loudly on citizen’s doors and running through resident's yards and private property. The Wilson County Sheriff's department was called after several residents grew concerned and became frightened when their homes were targeted.
This behavior appears to resemble the "Ding Dong Ditch" prank, popular on TikTok. Last week, a similar incident in Virginia resulted in one teenager being wounded and another losing their life when a homeowner opened fire. (Read more of the story here Teenager Fatally Shot During ‘Ding Dong Ditch’ TikTok Prank - The New York Times)
We strongly advise parents and guardians to discuss with their children the potentially severe repercussions of what may only seem like harmless fun. This behavior not only risks charges of trespassing but could also provoke violent responses from property owners.
We ask anyone with video or door cam footage to please contact Town Hall at (252)237-4226, Mon-Fri. If your home is victimized, and you are concerned for you or your property's safety, call the Wilson County Sheriff's Department.
Together, we can maintain the safety and security of our community. Thank you for your vigilance and cooperation.
SIMS VFD TO CONDUCT CONTROLLED BURN
This Saturday, April 26 at 8am, the Sims Volunteer Fire Department will conduct a scheduled burn of a structure within the town limits. They will be using this burn as a training session with four other local fire departments. This burn has met all state regulations, approvals and inspections.
We ask that you avoid the area of Broad Street and 6249 Main Street (Green Pond Rd). The Sims Community Park will be closed on this day to the public to allow access for the multiple fire department vehicles and equipment, and to ensure safety to the public.
During this burn, the fire department may access water from our hydrants. Any time a hydrant is open, it can create a disruption in water pressure or quality of water. If you experience these issues, please know they are only temporary while the training is active.
Once the burn is complete, in the event that your water is discolored, please turn on the cold water and allow it to run for several minutes until clear again.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Scheduled burns are an important part of the training process. Thank you for your cooperation and patience with us during this time.
TOWN OF SIMS NO SOLICITING POLICY
The Town of Sims currently has an ordinance to prevent solicitation within the town limits. You may notice the ‘No Soliciting’ signs next to the Welcome to Sims signs when you enter town from any direction. This ordinance includes any commercial activities seeking personal gain but excludes religious canvasing. The First Amendment protects freedom of religion and speech, which includes the right to engage in door-to-door evangelism.
If you prefer to not have your home visited by a religious organization or any other entity, you must post a ‘No Soliciting’ sign on your property. Should the solicitors persist, you may call the local Sheriff’s Department to report the incident.
The Town of Sims wants all residents to feel safe and protected in their homes. If you have any questions, or need assistance, please feel free to reach out to Sims Town Hall during regular business hours.
SVFD TO CONDUCT A CONTROLLED BURN
Sims Volunteer Fire Department has scheduled a control burn for training purposes on Saturday, April 26, 2025. The small building at 6249 Main St was due to be removed as part of the new Community Center expansion. The SVFD offered to help the Town and allow for vital training while doing so. The Sims Community Park will be closed to the public as a safety measure the day of the burn. Please proceed with caution. The Town of Sims would like to thank you for your cooperation.
TOWN OF SIMS SPRING FLING
The Town of Sims is delighted to announce the Sims Volunteer Fire Department will be selling BBQ chicken plates for $12 at the Spring Fling.
There will be no presale for plates. Dessert will be available as well.
The SVFD is the first line of defense in an emergency for the Town of Sims. Please come out and show support.
The Spring Fling event will be host to local food trucks, Brandy’s Italian and Woodfired Pizza and BBQ, from 11am-2pm. Come visit the Easter Bunny and have your picture taken. The local churches are sponsoring the egg hunts for all age groups and one hunt for children with special needs and sensory sensitivities. There will be games, prizes, face painting, D’licious Icys, a live DJ - Louie Bowen, and much more.