Avian Flu on Weekly Home and Garden Show

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Until further notice, all poultry shows and public sales of poultry are suspended until further notice because of the ongoing threat of avian influenza, according to state veterinarian Mike Martin. This includes all exhibitions, farm tours, shows, sales, flea markets, auction markets, swaps and meets pertaining to poultry and other feathered fowl in North Carolina, according to a press statement issued Tuesday by the N.C. Department of Agriculture.

Jonas Asbill, a poultry extension agent for a 20-county area that includes Vance, joined Paul McKenzie and Wayne Rowland on Wednesday’s The Local Skinny! segment to provide details about the seasonal influenza that is transmitted from wild waterfowl to domesticated and commercial poultry.

Several sites in Johnston County already have had to euthanize thousands of turkeys after finding the avian flu among the stock.

Asbill urges all poultry owners – even if you have a few layer hens in the backyard – to use strict biosecurity measures to make sure your animals stay safe. Asbill recommends that poultry stay in coops or otherwise contained and that they not come into contact with wild migratory waterfowl.

Migratory waterfowl are asymptomatic carriers of the influenza and shed the disease in their feces. Think about the Canada geese or seagulls that make stopovers at area ponds, parking lots and golf courses in the area. Local poultry owners could potentially bring back remnants of contaminated fecal matter on the bottoms of shoes and then unknowingly introduce it to their own poultry.

It’s just better to keep them contained during the annual migration times, and to keep them away from where migratory waterfowl may congregate.

“We’re a heavy ag state,” Asbill said, “and a big part is poultry.” Once a case is detected, the whole population has to be destroyed; the turkeys or broilers do not continue into the food supply chain.

While the CDC considers transmission to humans a very low risk, Asbill said there have been rare cases of the avian flu being found in other species.

“We do not make this decision lightly. HPAI is a serious threat to our poultry industry and this is a precaution to help limit the introduction of the virus to backyard and commercial flocks,” Martin said in a press statement.

North Carolina joins several other states, including Georgia, that have also cancelled or altered poultry events due to HPAI. Poultry owners across the state need to practice strict biosecurity. This includes keeping flocks indoors without access to outside and reporting sick birds to your local veterinarian, the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Veterinary Division, 919.707.3250, or the N.C. Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory System 919.733.3986.

To learn the signs of avian influenza, biosecurity tips and more information go to www.ncagr.gov/avianflu.

On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.

  • Mowing season is here. Always check your lawn for objects that can become projectiles before mowing. Please No Extra Riders On Mowers. One Seat Means One Person On the Mower!
  • Check mowing height, but it’s too late for seeding, fertilizer and weed killers.
  • Vegetables you can now plant: Arugula,,Snap beans,beets,broccoli,cabbage,kale,leeks,bulb onions, Irish potatoes,turnips.
  • Avoid insecticide applications to lawns unless there is a specific identified problem.
  • Purchase healthy transplants, good color, not pot bound
  • Hold off on planting frost sensitive plants, including warm season vegetables and flowers.

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The Local Skinny! Free Christian Play Coming To Louisburg

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Thanks to the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, a group of pastors and ministers in Franklin County had to get creative as they began planning for their annual community gathering during the Easter season.

Speaking on behalf of FACES – Franklin Area Clergical Ecumenical Society – Eddie Williams said the result is a play called “Too Young To Be Saved: My Kids Saved My Life.” Williams spoke with John C. Rose on Tuesday’s The Local Skinny! segment.

“This gospel message will be presented in a theatrical format,” he said. The performance will be Saturday, Apr. 9 at 4 p.m. at the Pete Smith Amphitheater in Louisburg. The event is free to the community, Williams said, and said local actors, singers and dancers will be among those taking the stage.

“The actors are really engaging – it’s going to be a lot of fun,” he said. Jayden Watkins is participating. Watkins, a student at Henderson Collegiate, who also is a preacher, author and podcast host. The Cook Family Singers and IDance Praise Group also will be in the performance.

“We decided to go with someone with quite a bit more experience” in play production, so FACES approached Connie Ragland, who agreed to create something special for the occasion.

“This is the first time that we’ve done it on this level – we’re really excited about it,” Williams said. “We pray that lives will be touched.”

The play is about families and their day-to-day activities, he explained. There’s an encounter with God that produces life-altering results. Ragland has written other works with similar themes, Williams said, but this particular play focuses on the role children play in the lives of families.

“It’s always fun – there’s always some comedy in there, and some singing…as the message is conveyed.”

The Pete Smith Amphitheater is located at 116 N. Main St., Louisburg. Williams said there is bench seating, so it may be a good idea to bring a lawn chair.

Williams has one more request: “Continue to pray for good weather because (the performance) IS outside!”

Contact Williams at 919.263.4119 for more information.

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West End Baptist

TownTalk: Collecting Food, Paper Products, Household Items And Gift Cards In The Month Of April

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A lot of cars and trucks drive past West End Baptist Church each day as drivers make their way up and down a very busy Dabney Drive. The church gets visitors who are in town to enjoy Kerr Lake and from others who travel along I-85.

The congregation is active in local outreach, and support organizations like Rebuilding Hope, ACTS, Grace Ministries and Lifeline Ministries. Their regular 220 Fish Fry fundraisers help in these efforts, and Jerry Parrish is helping to organize an outreach project that will help folks a little farther away.

The church is participating again this year in a Food Roundup for the N.C. Baptist Children’s Homes. Volunteers will be on hand beginning April 11 to accept donations of food, non-perishable household items and gift cards that will be delivered to the N.C. Baptist Children’s Homes located in Kinston.

“We’d love to rent a big box truck and take the food down,” Parrish told John C. Rose on Tuesday’s Town Talk. Church members have sent letters to more than 25 area churches, many of which used to belong to the former Cullen Baptist Association, to join in the project.

He said several churches have responded so far.

Last year, the church was able to collect about 40 boxes of food items and more than $2,500 in gift cards. That was a good start, despite COVID-19, Parrish said, and he said he hopes this year will be even more successful.

Anyone can make a donation to the Food Roundup, he said. Volunteers will be at the church, located at 619 Dabney Drive, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. each weekday beginning Monday, Apr. 11 through Wednesday, Apr. 18.

Contact the church at 252.438.6306, Will Flowers at 252.432.0787, or Parrish at 252.492.6353 for more information.

Visit https://www.bchfamily.org/ to view a complete list of items that are needed.

 

 

The Local Skinny! Jobs In Vance 04-05-22

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The H-V Chamber of Commerce and WIZS, Your Community Voice, present Jobs in Vance for April 5th, 2022. The Chamber compiles the information, and it is presented here and on the radio. Contact the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce at 438-8414 or email Michelle@hendersonvance.org to be included.

JOB OPENINGS IN VANCE COUNTY – Week of Tuesday, April 5, 2022

Name of the Company: For Your Occasion Event Rentals

Jobs Available: Hiring for installers to help with set up and take down.

Method of Contact: Call 252-492-9800.  Email resume to info@FYOEventRentals.com.  Visit website at www.fyoeventrentals.com.

 

Name of the Company: Walmart Distribution Center 6091

Jobs Available: Freight Handler/Order Filler.  Full-time, 12 hour shift.  $17.55-$23.55 hour.  Fullfill store orders by pulling merchandise through layer using electronic voice control equipment, stacking on pallets, and completing tasks in other ways.

Method of Contact: Apply online at www.walmart.com (at bottom of homepage, click on careers), or apply online with www.indeed.com.

 

Name of the Company:  Vance County Public Schools

Jobs Available: Hiring for a Parent Engagement, Displace Families, and Student Liaison.  Full-time.  $24,000 – $30,000 year salary.  Willingness to develop community relationships, and have an understanding of available resources to assist our families.

Method of Contact: Apply online to www.vcs.k12.nc.us – Under programs and services tab at top of page, click on job openings.  Or call Human Resource Office at 252-492-2127.

  

Name of the Company:  Variety Wholesalers (Roses Stores) Corporate Office, located on Garnett Street in Henderson, NC

Jobs Available: Job Openings (multiple positions) for immediate hire.  Human Resource Coordinator, Payroll Specialist, Accounts Payable Clerk, Associate Buyer, Merchandise Analyst, Various Merchandise Department Buyers.

Method of Contact:  Send resume to poverton@vwstores.com or apply at www.indeed.com.

  

Name of the Company: Mars Petcare

Jobs Available:  Sanitation Operator – performs cleaning and maintains control over the microbial environment in plant through detailed cleaning of equipment and surfaces, in high-risk areas, and oversees preventive maintenance of all sanitation equipment. High School diploma required.

Method of Contact: Apply through online through NC Works at www.ncworks.gov, or go by the NC Works office in Henderson to apply at 857 South Beckford Drive, Suite G in Henderson.  252-438-6129.

 

Name of the Company:  First Baptist Church, Henderson, NC

Jobs Available:  Administrative Support Coordinator.  Provide organizational and administrative assistance to church staff, maintain schedules for the use of the building, special events, and assist with printing and distribution of church publications.  Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Publisher, Exel.  Excellent verbal and written skills, interpersonal skills, recordkeeping skills, marketing on social medial.  High School diploma and 2 year college degree preferred. 9-5, Monday to Thursday, 9-noon on Friday.

Method of Contact:  Send resume to Ron Cava, Senior Minister at First Baptist Church. roncava@fbchenderson.net

 

Some of these businesses are present or past advertisers of WIZS.  Being an ad client is not a condition of being listed or broadcast.  This is not a paid ad.

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Local Foundation’s Scholarship Open For College-Bound HS Seniors

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Searching for scholarships can be a full-time job for those college-bound high school seniors, but a local foundation is offering 10 scholarships to graduating seniors in the area, placing the ball in their court.

The $500 scholarships are offered through the Edmonds Tennis and Education Foundation (ETEF), a Henderson-based nonprofit dedicated to utilizing the game of tennis to provide academic and athletic opportunities for under-resourced youth throughout rural North Carolina.

To help carry out its mission, ETEF high school seniors in Vance, Granville, Warren, Franklin, Halifax, Hertford, Northampton and Bertie counties may apply. Applicants must have evidence of plans to attend college and must follow the application guidelines provided and all required documents must be received or postmarked by Apr. 30, 2022 to be considered for the scholarship award.

Visit https://www.edmondstenniseducationfoundation.org/ and find a link to the application.

Henderson Tobacco Warehouse

The Local Skinny! Painting The Town

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Groups of volunteers will be gathering at several city intersections later this week to create decorative crosswalks as downtown revitalization continues.

More volunteers are welcome to participate Wednesday through Saturday, and they should come prepared to get a little bit messy, according to Alexandra Green, vice president and director of operations of Acquest. Acquest joins co-sponsors Henderson Tobacco Warehouse, Vance County Arts and the City of Henderson to bring the project – funded by an AARP Community Challenge grant – to the downtown area.

Green told Bill Harris on Monday’s The Local Skinny!  that volunteers of any age or ability are needed – no artistic talent is required. “Come join us and have some fun,” she said. Volunteers will find themselves painting state symbols like honeybees and dogwood flowers, as well as “giant piano keys” as a nod to Henderson’s contributions to the music scene.

Acquest is based in Baltimore, MD and is currently tackling revitalization efforts of the 87,000-square-foot historic tobacco warehouse on Zene Street, which is within walking distance of downtown.

On Wednesday, volunteers will be painting the crosswalk from 12 noon to 5 p.m. on Zene Street, at Turner and Winder streets.

Thursday’s target is College Street at Montgomery and Arch streets, also from 12 noon to 5 p.m.

The volunteers move to the crosswalk at Zene and Montgomery on Friday – 12 noon to 5 p.m.

The final crosswalk will be created on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Breckenridge and Wyche streets, near McGregor Hall.

Green said the streets will be blocked off during the times that the volunteers will be painting.

Acquest will provide water bottles and snacks for all the crosswalk projects. Volunteers are not required to wear masks, but they should feel free to bring masks if you prefer, given that volunteers may be close to one another during the project.

It’s all part of an overarching plan tcalled the art and heritage walk project that highlights existing art and new creations. Green said it’s just one way to “encourage visitors and locals alike to explore the different areas and historic neighborhoods around downtown with a guided walking experience.

Visit https://facebook.com/events/s/paint-hendersons-streets/523988272450230/ to stay updated on details for the week.

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Vance Early Voting Begins Apr. 28

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Vance County voters can choose the early-voting option beginning Thursday, Apr. 28 in advance May 17 primary, according to local board of elections officials.

The one-stop voting will be held at the Dr. Andrea L. Harris Operations and Service Center, 900 S. Beckford Dr. This is the former city operations center.

Voting is open 8 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. beginning on Apr. 28 and continues each weekday through Friday, May 13. The polling site will be open on Saturday, May 14 from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. This is the only weekend day that early voting will take place, according to information from Shelly Wood, deputy director of the Vance Board of Elections.

The deadline to register to vote in the May 17 election is Friday, April 22 at 5 p.m. Individuals who miss that April 22 deadline may register during the one-stop voting with the proper document and photo ID, Wood said.

Voters who wish to request an absentee ballot have until 5 p.m. on May 10 to do so. Wood listed several criteria for the absentee ballot request process:

  • Requests are accepted on the approved State Absentee Mail Request Form only and ballots are mailed by the Board of Elections Office
  • Valid in-person requests are accepted for sick and disabled voters at the Board of Elections Office
  • Ballots must be returned by Tuesday; May 17, 2022 at 5:00pm Or be POSTMARKED by May 17, 2022 and received by mail no later than Friday, May 20, 2022 5:00pm

Individual precincts will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. for the May 17 primary.

Henderson Vance Recreation & Parks

Get in on the Adventure with Cub Scouts

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Boys and Girls in grades K through 5 have the opportunity to discover adventure with the Cub Scouts.  Tara Goolsby with the Henderson Vance Parks and Recreation Dept. will give boys and girls the chance to join Cub Scouts through May 11th.  The first signup date is this Wednesday, April 6th at 9am at Henderson City Hall, 134 Rose Ave. This signup will be followed on Wednesday, April 13th at 12noon also at Henderson City Hall.  Other opportunities to sign up for cub scouts will occur on Thursday, April 21, at 3pm, Thursday April 28 at 6pm and on Wednesday, May 11th at 6pm.  These last three signups will be held at Aycock Recreation Center, 307 Carey Chapel Road in Henderson.  Cub Scouts offers year round programming with exciting activities scheduled for youth and their entire family. It’s an opportunity for kids to make new friends, take hikes, visit museums, catch fish, build cars, help people, gain confidence, camp, work in teams, learn new skills and much more. If your child is interested or you are interested in having your child join Cub Scouts and would like more information contact Tara Goolsby at taragoolsby@henderson.nc.gov