Kerr Tar Regional Council of Governments

Kerr Tar Council of Government Update 10/04/17

Town Talk 10/04/17

Cooperative Extension with Paul McKenzie 10/04/17

News 10/04/17

Lorrie Morgan Coming to Henderson

— courtesy McGregor Hall

Country Music Superstar Lorrie Morgan Celebrates Columbus Day Weekend With First-Ever Concert In Henderson, North Carolina

HENDERSON, N.C. (OCTOBER 2, 2017)—Country music superstar Lorrie Morgan lands her tour bus in Henderson, N.C., for the first time ever this Sunday, October 8, 2017, for a live concert at McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center. The doors open at 7 p.m. for the 8 p.m. show.

The Columbus Day weekend event is expected to draw in hundreds of Country music fans from across the region to downtown Henderson, according to Mark Hopper, vice president of the McGregor Hall Board of Directors. “Lorrie is one of the biggest superstars that we’ve had perform at McGregor Hall since opening last year, and we fully expect her Sunday night show to be one of the most exciting events happening in the region on this extended, holiday weekend.”

The sultry songstress is one of the best-selling female artists in Country music history, beginning her career by setting records as she released three consecutive platinum albums beginning with 1989’s “Leave The Light On” followed by “Something In Red,” then “Watch Me.” To date, Morgan has had 14 Top 10 Country music hit songs like “Five Minutes,” “Something In Red,” and “A Picture Of Me (Without You).”

Even years before those radio hits were released, Morgan made history at age 13 when she became one of the youngest artists to perform at The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Since then, Morgan has not slowed down.

In 1994 she was voted “Female Vocalist of the Year” by country music fans at TNN’s Music City News Awards. She would earn this honor again in 1996, 1997 and 1998. Over the past two decades, as musical trends came and went, Morgan has remained true to herself. Today, she has become the essence of Country music femininity and a renaissance woman of the genre, easily being recognized as one of Country music’s “most emotive female artists.”

In 2016, Morgan released her first new solo album in five years, “Letting Go…Slow,” which she says is a collection of her varied moods. “It’s a rainbow of emotions, from darkest heartache to bright, shiny humor,” said Morgan. “Where I am in my life right now, I’m not afraid to express what I feel, or what I don’t feel. I’ve been a daughter, a bride, a mother, a divorcee, a widow, a single mother, a breadwinner and, ultimately, a survivor. In many ways, I am a living, breathing Country song, and I know what I sing.“

Concertgoers can expect to hear an array of new and old hits as well as her rendition of Country classics such as her soprano lilt version of Patsy Cline’s “Strange.”

Tickets are on sale for $35 or $30 plus sales tax. Group and student rates are available. Tickets can be purchased directly at the McGregor Hall Box office, which is open Monday through Friday from 1:30pm to 5:30pm. The Box Office is located at 201 Breckenridge Street in downtown Henderson. The Box Office can also be reached by phone by calling (252) 598-0662. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.McGregorHall.org by using the secure and trusted purchasing platform, eTix. Online fees apply.

Morgan is the opening act of the McGregor Live! performance series package, where patrons have an opportunity to buy tickets for six shows at $125, a savings of $35. The packages also features “Hairspray,” performed and produced with local talent, on Oct. 27-29 and Nov. 3-5; the Christmas Wonderland holiday spectacular, Dec. 5; world-renowned magician and mentalist Joshua Lozoff, Jan. 6; Al Stewart, known for the Top 10 hits “Year of the Cat” and “Time Passages,” and his band, the Empty Pockets, Feb. 17; and the original Eagles tribute band, Hotel California, on March 16. For more information on this and other series packages, visit www.McGregorHall.org.

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(Press Release)

(McGregor Hall is a paying advertising client of WIZS.)

NC Forest Service

Oct 8-14 is Fire Prevention Week

— courtesy NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services and NC Forest Service

With fall fire season approaching, N.C. Forest Service offers tips to prevent wildfires

RALEIGH – As fall wildfire season approaches, the N.C. Forest Service encourages North Carolinians to heed the call of National Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 8-14, and take steps to ensure careful burning of leaves and yard debris.

Fall wildfire season typically lasts from mid-October until mid-December, the time of year when people do a lot of yard work that may include burning leaves and yard debris. These fires sometimes escape and start wildfires. In fact, debris burning is the top cause of wildfires in North Carolina.

“Between October and November of 2016, there were 1,138 wildfires that burned more than 59,511 acres across North Carolina,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “All of us can do our part to avoid another fall fire season like last year by exercising caution while burning debris.”

There are many factors to consider before burning any debris. The N.C. Forest Service encourages residents considering debris burning to contact their local county forest ranger. The ranger can offer technical advice and explain the best options to help maximize the safety to people, property and the forest.

Follow these tips to protect property and prevent wildfires:

  • Consider alternatives to burning. Some types of debris, such as leaves, grass and stubble, may be of more value if they are not burned, but used for mulch instead.
  • Check local burning laws. Some communities allow burning only during specified hours. Others forbid it entirely.
    Make sure you have a valid permit. You can obtain a burning permit at any Forest Service office or authorized permitting agent, or online at https://ncforestservice.gov.
  • Keep an eye on the weather. Don’t burn on dry, windy days.
  • Local fire officials can recommend a safe way to burn debris. Don’t pile vegetation on the ground. Instead, place it in a cleared area and contain it in a screened receptacle away from overhead branches and wires.
  • Household trash should be hauled away to a trash or recycling station. It is illegal to burn anything other than yard debris.
  • Be sure you are fully prepared before burning. To control the fire, you will need a hose, bucket, steel rake and a shovel for tossing dirt on the fire. Keep a phone nearby, too.
  • Never use kerosene, gasoline, diesel fuel or other flammable liquids to speed debris burning.
  • Stay with your fire until it is completely out.
  • These same tips hold true for campfires and charcoal grills as well. Douse burning charcoal briquettes or campfires thoroughly with water. When soaked, stir the coals and soak them again. Be sure they are out cold and carefully feel to be sure they are extinguished. Never dump hot ashes or coals into a wooded area.
  • Burning agricultural residue and forestland litter: In addition to the rules above, a fire line should be plowed around the area to be burned. Large fields should be separated into small plots for burning one at a time. Before doing any burning in a wooded area, contact your county ranger, who will weigh all factors, explain them and offer technical advice.

Studies have shown that taking these and other measures can reduce the possibility of wildfires. For more information on ways you can prevent wildfires and loss of property, log onto https://ncforestservice.gov.

Successful Gardening in Tough Soil

— courtesy Vance/Warren Cooperative Extension

–by Paul McKenzie

Would you like to learn the best methods for successful gardening in tough soil? Join the Extension Master Gardener Volunteers of Vance and Warren Counties on Saturday, October 21, 10 a.m. to noon at the Warren County Armory Civic Center to learn the secrets to gardening success. Topics include learning to build a compost bin using yard scraps, utilizing worms for composting, and what can be planted in the fall in the improved garden. Registration is $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Payment, with check payable to Gardeners of Kerr Lake, can be mailed to Warren Symposium, ATTN: Eileen Novak, 158 Rafters Lane, Warrenton, NC, 27589. For more information, e-mail kerrlakemg@gmail.com or call NC Cooperative Extension in Warren County at 252-257-3640.

(You can hear Paul McKenzie each Tuesday afternoon at 4:35 on WIZS 1450 AM and wizs.com on the Home and Garden Show.  McKenize is also heard periodically through the week on WIZS at 2:05 p.m. on the Cooperative Extension Report.)


Paul McKenzie
Agricultural Extension Agent, Vance/Warren Counties
NC Cooperative Extension
305 Young St., Henderson, NC 27536
158 Rafters Ln., Warrenton, NC 27589
https://www.ces.ncsu.edu
252.438.8188 (Vance) 252.257.3640 (Warren)
@pgmckenzie

Home and Garden Show 10/03/17

Town Talk 10/03/17

Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland 10/03/17