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Town Talk 11/25/20: Harrison Discusses COVID at Courthouse, Senior Citizens Home

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100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

Lisa Harrison, director of Granville-Vance Public Health (GVPH), appeared on WIZS Town Talk Wednesday at 11 a.m.

According to Harrison, GVPH and its support teams have been working with the local public school systems, private schools and charter schools to ensure safety and to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as much as possible.

“We have some dedicated nurses who have been working really hard since March with our school systems who are trying to figure out how to manage in this new world order of COVID-19,” said Harrison. “We are trying to provide enough data, updates and information for our school systems to make good decisions and to manage any outbreaks or clusters.”

At this time of Thanksgiving, Harrison said she is thankful for the positive working relationships that she and GVPH have with community partners. Addressing one such partner, the Vance County Court System, Harrison said their partnership led to the quick handling of the Vance County Courthouse’s recently reported cluster of positive COVID cases.

“We have taken a tour of the courthouse a number of times over the past eight months just to make sure we’re informing all on the procedures that are new and different, to make sure that people are screened and to make sure that we are preventing the spread of COVID as much as possible,” explained Harrison. “Unfortunately, it [COVID spread] still happens.”

Due to a reported COVID cluster, Vance County court sessions were canceled beginning November 19 and will remain canceled through December 3, 2020, as of the time of this posting. The courthouse will remain open for necessary business during this time.

Clarifying the term COVID ‘cluster’ versus an ‘outbreak,’ Harrison said clusters are defined as five or more cases in one location that are tied together. Clusters are also commonly referred to in locations that are not healthcare-related, such as schools and courthouses.

Outbreaks, on the other hand, are defined as two or more cases in healthcare settings and long-term care facilities where the spread can be more rapid and detrimental if not quickly controlled.

Data reported ahead of Thanksgiving Day indicated 1,604 total confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in Vance County, with 446 known active cases.

Of those 1,604 cases, 1,434 are associated with community spread, 58 are associated with Pelican Health of Henderson, 49 are associated with Kerr Lake Nursing Home, 62 are associated with Senior Citizens Nursing Home (42 of which are new and still active) and one is associated with Alliance Rehabilitative Care.

These numbers include 54 individuals who have died from COVID-related complications in Vance County.

COVID testing is ongoing through Maria Parham Health, GVPH and private institutions. Please visit www.gvph.org/COVID-19/ for the latest local information.

To hear the interview with Harrison in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.

Vance County Courthouse

Vance County District Court Sessions Canceled Through Dec. 3

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-Information courtesy the Hon. Henry L. Gupton

Chief District Court Judge John Davis has ordered that all sessions of Vance County court which include the following: District Criminal, District Civil and District Juvenile be canceled for Monday, November 30, Tuesday, December 1, and Thursday, December 3, 2020.

The Vance County Courthouse will remain open on the aforementioned days; however; court will not be in session.

Miss NC Christmas Spectacular

McGregor Hall to Host Miss North Carolina Virtual Christmas Spectacular

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-Information courtesy McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center

Welcome in the holiday season with McGregor Hall and the Miss North Carolina Scholarship Organization! McGregor Hall is thrilled to be the host venue and streaming sponsor for a Virtual Christmas Spectacular Show on Saturday, December 12, 2020, at 7 p.m.

The show will feature the reigning Miss North Carolina, Alexandra Badgett, and Miss North Carolina’s Outstanding Teen, Karlee Sanderford; Former Miss North Carolinas and Miss North Carolina’s Outstanding Teens from years past; and 10 current local Miss and Outstanding Teen candidates vying for the state crown in 2021.

Purchase a $25 ticket reservation (click here) to receive an exclusive viewing link to tune in virtually on December 12 in the comfort and safety of your home. This Christmas Spectacular will be streamed across the state (and nation) for all ages to enjoy.

The event will be pre-recorded, following all state and health protocols, at McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center in Henderson, North Carolina. Performers will be recorded individually to ensure personal safety in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

(This is not a paid advertisement)

Cherrelle Lawrence

VGCC Names Lawrence Dean of Corporate Learning & Professional Development

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Vance-Granville Community College recently named Cherrelle Lawrence as its new Dean of Corporate Learning & Professional Development. In this role, Dean Lawrence will identify and develop corporate training and external professional development offerings for companies, local government agencies and civic organizations.

Lawrence will also serve as the lead administrator (Dean) for the VGCC Franklin Campus and work with Franklin Campus faculty and staff to ensure successful implementation of the mission of the satellite campus.

Vance-Granville Community College recently named Cherrelle Lawrence as its new Dean of Corporate Learning & Professional Development. (Photo courtesy VGCC)

Lawrence is a certified Global Career Development Facilitator & Trainer (GCDF) and has worked in Career Services & Employer Relations in higher education and the non-profit sector for over five years.

Lawrence most recently served as Assistant Director of Employer Relations at the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School. During her time there, she led the Undergraduate Business Program’s Diversity & Inclusion initiatives and fostered strong working relationships with over 200 companies across a variety of sectors.

Prior to working at UNC-Chapel Hill, Lawrence served on the TAACCCT & TechHire grant teams at VGCC, where she built relationships with local companies and directly engaged with VGCC students, staff and faculty.

“It has always been my vision and plan to grow in Higher Education, with a specific interest in Training & Development,” Dean Lawrence said. “I look forward to being able to share my expertise, learn from others and ultimately help cultivate our Workforce and Community Engagement Department.”

Lawrence holds a master’s in Business Administration from East Carolina University and a bachelor’s in Business Education & Marketing from North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University.

“We are glad to welcome Cherrelle Lawrence back to VGCC in this new capacity, and we are excited about the leadership she will provide to help our area’s employers succeed through training and to continue the outstanding services and programs available at our Franklin Campus,” said Dr. Jerry Edmonds, VGCC’s Vice President of Workforce Development and Community Engagement.

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City Council, NC School of Govt. to Discuss Urban Redevelopment

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-Information courtesy the City of Henderson

On November 30, 2020, members of the Henderson City Council will hold a brief meeting with individuals from the North Carolina School of Government regarding the selection process for the Urban Redevelopment Commission.

This meeting will be held at 5 p.m. via Zoom. Council members may participate from home, work or in Council Chambers. The Zoom information will be posted on the City’s website no later than 12 p.m. on November 30.

It is possible a quorum of Council members will attend this meeting; however, no action will be taken.

4-H Logo

Warren Co. 4-H Seeks Volunteers for Restorative Justice Initiative

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-Information courtesy the Warren County Cooperative Extension Center

The Warren County 4-H W.A.Y. program has added a new “Sentencing Circle” component to serve youth ages 6 – 18.

Sentencing Circle is a restorative justice initiative. It aims to recognize the needs of victims, secure the participation of the community and identify the rehabilitative needs of the offender. Unlike many other restorative initiatives, it is part of and replaces sentencing in the formal justice system.

To help make the program a success, we are recruiting youth and adults to become volunteers to serve. Training will be provided!

If interested, please contact Tawanica Bullock, 4-H W.A.Y. Program Assistant, tlbullo2@ncsu.edu or Crystal M. Smith, 4-H W.A.Y. Program Manager, cmsmith2@ncsu.edu, (252) 257-3640.

Read more at https://warren.ces.ncsu.edu/2020/11/lets-make-a-difference/ 

Please RSVP by November 30, 2020.

NC State Board of Elections

State Board Certifies Results from Historic 2020 General Election

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-Press Release, NC State Board of Elections

The bipartisan State Board of Elections on Tuesday voted to certify nearly all contests in the 2020 general election, including the presidential contest.

“Canvass” means the entire process of determining that the votes have been counted and tabulated correctly, culminating in the authentication of the official election results. The State Board canvasses the votes cast in statewide, multicounty, and judicial contests and authenticates the count in every ballot item in the counties by determining that the votes have been counted and tabulated correctly.

This certification came after the 100 county boards of elections certified results at the county level and after a series of post-election audits by election officials verified the counts.

“Today, we officially recorded the voices of more than 5.5 million North Carolinians in certifying this historic election,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections.

More than 5.5 million registered voters cast ballots in the election, or 75.4 percent of registered voters.

To view the canvass documents, go here: State Board Meeting Documents 11/24/2020: Canvass.

To view the post-election audit report, go here: November 2020 Election Audit Results.

The following contests were not canvassed or authenticated due to pending election protests:

  • Chief Justice of the N.C. Supreme Court
  • District Court Judge – 10F (Wake County)
  • N.C. House District 36 (Wake County)
  • Hoke County Board of Education
  • Wayne County Register of Deeds

Tuesday’s state canvass was the culmination of an extremely busy year for election officials across North Carolina.

Election workers pulled off a successful election with the highest voter turnout in North Carolina history and a staggering increase in absentee-by-mail voting. They did so while protecting themselves and millions of voters from a deadly virus, ensuring that no COVID-19 clusters were tied to voting sites in North Carolina.

“From the Grape Creek precinct in Cherokee County to the Stumpy Point precinct in Dare County, election officials worked countless hours in 2020 so voters could cast their ballot without fear of disease,” Brinson Bell said.

Certificates of election will be issued to prevailing candidates on or about November 30, unless an election protest is pending.

Historic 2020 General Election by the Numbers

7.36 million: Registered NC voters (most in NC history)

5.55 million: Ballots cast (most in NC history)

75.35: Percent turnout of registered voters (most in modern NC history)

1 million: Absentee by-mail ballots cast (most in NC history)

471: Early voting sites (most in NC history)

77,887: Early voting hours (most in NC history)

348,000: In-person early votes cast on October 15 (most ever in a single day)

3.63 million: In-person early votes cast (most in NC history)

900,000: Approximate ballots cast on Election Day (November 3)

2,660: Precincts open on Election Day

57,017: Poll workers recruited through Democracy Heroes program

14 million: Items of personal protective equipment delivered to county boards of elections

6 million: Single-use pens delivered to county boards

0: Clusters of COVID-19 tied to voting sites in North Carolina

Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland 11-24-20 – Composting Leaves

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Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 2 PM Monday – Thursday.

Beach Music Blast

Town Talk 11/23/20: Christie Officially Inducted Into Carolina Beach Music Hall of Fame

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

Pat Christie, 2020 inductee into the Carolina Beach Music Awards Hall of Fame, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Monday at 11 a.m.

WIZS Beach Blast host Trey Snide interviewed Christie, who happens to be his father-in-law.

From Durham, NC, Christie started playing the guitar when he was nine-years-old and has been involved with several bands throughout his music career, including The Spring Fever Band, The Fabulous Hot Dog Daddy O’s and The Castaways. The Castaways were inducted as a group into the Beach Music Hall of Fame in 2014.

With COVID canceling plans for an in-person induction ceremony in Myrtle Beach this year, Christie said he and his family listened to the radio-broadcasted induction via the On the Beach With Charlie Brown program last weekend.

Christie, who prepared an acceptance speech for the occasion, was inducted by good friend and well-known beach music vocalist Terri Gore. While he did know that Gore would be inducting him on the radio, Christie’s family surprised him by inviting Gore, “the original ‘Carolina Girl,’” and her husband to attend the watch party.

“I turned around, and there was one of my best friends in the whole wide world, Terri Gore. It was awesome; it just blew me away. Then to hear Terri say the very kind things she said on the radio about my accomplishments, our friendship through the years and beach music was touching. To hear her say the words that she was officially inducting me into the Hall of Fame was one of the greatest moments of my life.”

Be sure to listen to the Beach Music Blast live on WIZS 1450 AM, 100.1 FM or online at www.wizs.com (click Listen Live) from 12 until 1 p.m. every Monday – Friday.

To hear the interview with Christie in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.

Local News Audio

Noon News 11-24-20: Covid19; VGCC receives award; Food give away; Granville Co. Crime Stoppers

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Stories include:

– Covid19 Update

– Covid19 testing event

– Day after Thanksgiving food give away

– Granville County Crime Stoppers awards

For full details and audio click play