WIZS Radio Local News Audio 10-12-22 Noon
Click Play to Listen. On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
Click Play to Listen. On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.
Click Play!
More than a dozen current city employees – including the city police chief and fire chief, among others – have had their retirement benefits reinstated, thanks to an add-on agenda item at Monday’s Henderson City Council meeting.
Melissa Elliott, council member and chair of the Human Resources Committee, told WIZS News Tuesday that the council had voted to reinstate the benefits for a total of 20 current and former employees who would not have enough years in to qualify for full retirement benefits when the state changed the eligibility requirements.
“We got it back,” Elliott said in a phone interview.
Council member Garry Daeke said the cost will probably be along the lines of $192,000. “That’s money that won’t be available for other things,” Daeke said in a telephone interview Tuesday.”
When this particular group of employees was hired, there was one policy in effect, but that changed in the mid-2000’s.
All new hires understand that they must have 20 years of full-time employment to be eligible for state retirement benefits, including health benefits until they reach age 65 when Medicare kicks in.
Elliott said she is happy that this group of city employees, some of which now are retired, will have access to the benefits that were in place when they were hired.
She added that the nearby municipalities of Oxford, Wake Forest and Louisburg also have voted to reinstate the benefits.
Daeke said when the state changed the policy, local leaders were advised that there simply wasn’t enough money in the coffers to be able to afford it – “there was too much on the books to pay out,” Daeke said in a phone interview.
Although he wasn’t ready to call it a broken promise, Daeke acknowledged that it was a “serious change” for city employees to face when the state policy was amended back in 2009.
“The good news is, it’s been reinstated,” Daeke said.
Join the fun at the annual Cluck ‘N Shuck fundraiser sponsored by the Granville County Chamber of Commerce on Friday, Nov. 4 at the Granville County Expo & Convention Center.
Tickets are limited, so make sure to stop by the Chamber office, 124 Hillsboro St., Oxford to get yours now, said Chamber Executive Director Lauren Roberson. Tickets are $50 each. Contact the Chamber at 919.693.6125.
Cluck ‘N Shuck is from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Leon Nixon Catering will be providing all-you-can-eat steamed oysters, fried fish and shrimp, fried chicken tenders, slaw, buttered potatoes and hushpuppies. Iced tea, Coca-Cola products and other cold beverages from Tobacco Wood Brewing Co and The Hub on Main are provided
Next Door Radio will be on site to providing music for the evening.
There are numerous sponsorship levels for businesses to choose from, from a single presenting sponsor level for a donation of $2,500 to a bronze sponsor for $250.
The presenting sponsor gets 8 tickets to the event, as well as having the company logo on promotional materials and other benefits, including setting up a table at the event to showcase the business. Other levels include:
Sponsors of the event who were not listed in some way above also include Creedmoor Forest Products, Inc., Granville Pallet Company, Lewis Electric of Oxford, Oliver’s Towing, Oxford Preparatory School, Shalag Non-wovens and Wilkinson Creative Co.
(This story was edited from its original at the request of the Granville Chamber to list event sponsors.)
Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.
Click Play!
As a clinical social worker, Jeremy Brogden has experience in helping to connect clients with various resources in the community that can help provide useful support. For the past eight years or so, as the justice outreach specialist working out of the Veterans Administration facility in Durham, Brogden’s aim has been laser-focused on a specific type of clientele – veterans who find themselves having to maneuver the criminal justice system.
Brogden’s district covers 27 counties – that’s more than a quarter of the entire state of North Carolina. Our local four-county area falls into that district, and Brogden told Phyllis Maynard and John C. Rose on Tuesday a little bit about how the program works.
Frankly, there are usually more resources available to his clients in urban areas than there are in rural areas, but Brogden said he is always looking for ways to connect with veterans who may need the services he provides.
“A large part of what I do is jail outreach…and one that I prioritize,” Brogden said during the recurring TownTalk segment called “Former Active Duty: Still Boots on the Ground.” When veterans find themselves on the wrong side of the law, Brogden said, sometimes they need help connecting with available resources for assistance with issues ranging from housing, mental health or substance abuse treatment.
“This is a service that has a profound impact on veterans who are justice involved,” he said, adding that he may be the only person to meet with a jailed veteran, especially since the onset of the COVID pandemic when visits were restricted. The term “justice involved” refers to those who have not been sentenced for their alleged offense, those recently arrested and those on probation, Brogden explained.
“This is an opportunity to engage with veterans in places where they may be understandably distraught, they may have hit a low point…this is the time to plant seeds (that) lead to treatment and a positive outcome down the road.”
Brogden can recommend treatments or other options for clients, but ultimately the decisions are made by the court. “What we can do it advocate for treatment, and in many instances, we do find success – but not in all cases.”
One program that the Durham VA implemented in 2016 is called “Strength At Home,” a 12-week group therapy program that helps participants find ways to improve relationships and curb instances of domestic violence.
“It’s been a real beneficial program for the veterans I work with,” Brogden said. By learning effective coping and communication skills, participants can address interpersonal violence that may occur in the home – physical, emotional or verbal abuse. A component of the program looks particularly at the impact of trauma and the negative impact that military service can have, leading to conflict.
Harnett County has the state’s first veteran treatment court, Brogden said. This court is staffed with judges who are very familiar with the veteran culture and population, as well as resources and benefits that may be available to those who have served in the military.
“It’s been a very fruitful collaboration,” Brogden said, “and a wonderful resource for veterans I’ve worked with.”
What Is A Veterans Treatment Court? – Justice for Vets
To learn more about the VA’s veterans’ justice outreach program, contact Brogden at 919.452.6612 or Jeremy.brogden@va.gov.
CLICK PLAY!
Click Play to Listen. On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
The H-V Chamber of Commerce and WIZS, Your Community Voice, present Jobs in Vance for October 11, 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 Michele@hendersonvance.org to be included.
Name of Business- Maria Parham Health
Title of Job- Nephrology Receptionist; Full time. The receptionist greets visitors, performs and provides clerical support services, operates multiple-call switchboard console and routes calls to the appropriate person. Qualifications include a high school diploma or equivalent, associates degree preferred. 1yr of prior hospital or healthcare experience preferred.
How to Apply- Apply online at www.mariaparham.com/careers
Name of Business- Vance-Granville Community College
Title of Job- Administrative Assistant for the Deans of Students Services/ Call Center Coordinator; Full time. $31,737-$47,606 a year. Manages the reception area to ensure effective and professional telephone, email, and mail communications both internally and externally. Supervises all part-time call center staff and provides assistance to students. Qualifications include Associates degree and at least 1 yr of work experience at a community college.
How to Apply- Apply on VGCC website at www.vgcc.edu/careers
Name of Business- Brewer Cycles
Title of Job- Receptionist; Full time/Part time. Work hours are Tues-Fri 8:30-5:30pm and Sat 8:30-3:00pm. Greet and welcome guests as soon as they arrive, manage front desk, stock supplies, answer phones, and run errands. Qualifications include computer knowledge and 1 yr. of customer service is preferred.
How to Apply- Apply in person at Brewer Cycles located at 420 Warrenton Rd Henderson, NC 27537
Name of Business- Kerr Tar Regional Council of Governments
Title of Job- Communications and Administrative Coordinator; Full time. Starting at $43,000/yr. Communication duties include branding, social media, and website development. Administrative duties include purchasing, IT Support, and scheduling. Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree preferred. Sound judgement, initiative, tact, and courtesy are required.
How to Apply- Send your cover letter and resume to Communications & Administrative Coordinator at PO Box 709 Henderson, NC 27536
Name of Business- Vance County, NC
Title of Job- Sr. Administrative Support Specialist; Full time. Preforms accounting and budget monitoring functions for the department including monthly reports and reconciliations. Collects and reviews data. Provides customer service. Qualifications include Associate’s Degree. Bilingual applicants strongly encouraged to apply.
How to Apply- Apply on Indeed or https://nc-vancecounty.civicplushrms.com/CareerPortal/
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.
Click Play!
Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.
Click Play!
About 5 p.m. on Monday afternoon, a group of interested business and community were leaders invited to gather at a local downtown restaurant for a quick bite before walking over to the Henderson City Council meeting that began at 6 p.m.
It’s just one way that this group – participants in a business roundtable group created by the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce – can show support and encouragement to city staff and elected leaders and to be more visible partners in helping to grow the local economy.
They plan to meet again in a few weeks, in advance of the November City Council meeting.
The most recent business roundtable discussion occurred Friday, when Corey Williams, the city’s director of code compliance and City Manager Terrell Blackmon shared information about code enforcement and the proper way to go about resolving issues around code violations and nuisance abatement.
Brian Boyd spoke with John C. Rose on Monday’s segment of The Local Skinny! and he said Williams did a great job “guiding us through and educatying us on code and nuisance abatement.”
The group also discussed a long history of concern for the local area, as business or industry dried up, with little success in recruiting new businesses.
Boyd said it was a case of “if we don’t do something about ‘this,’ it is going to lead to ‘that,’ and ‘that’ is a bad outcome,” he said.
Over the years, as elections bring different faces to the City Council, Boyd said priorities also changed for Henderson.
“I want to compliment the city and the council members for being so actively engaged right now and for working together on things” that affect the well-being of the city, he said.
The process of enforcing city codes is a legal process, Boyd said. There’s a certain way to go about lodging a complaint or voicing an opinion – it’s “not a text message to a council member or to a city official,” he said.
CLICK PLAY!