WIZS Radio Local News Audio 11-21-22 Noon
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The Local Skinny! City Council Making City Employment More Attractive
Good news for current and future employees of the city of Henderson: The Henderson City Council adopted a city-wide minimum hourly rate of $15 per hour for all employees at its Nov. 14 meeting,
City Manager Terrell Blackmon made the request, which is in line with the most recent strategic plan strategies to attract and retain city workers.
According to information from the meeting agenda, 19 out of the city’s 200 employees currently earn less than $15 an hour, but the council’s adoption of the $15/hour rate changes that. It will cost an extra $1,173.47 per pay period – $30,510.18 a year – to make this change.
In his recommendation to the council, Blackmon stated that it was necessary “due to increasing wages and the competitive hiring environment in Vance County and the surrounding area.”
New employees will receive an hourly rate of not less than $15 per hour, and existing employees’ pay will be adjusted to reflect the pay raise. Employees hired before July 1, 2022 will have their salaries adjusted upon completion of their probationary period, he explained.
In other action from the council, city employees will get a bump in their pay if they are called back in to work. This changes will cost the city about $48,300 annually.
This “call-back” pay is for employees who are scheduled to be on call throughout the year. Blackmon proposed, and the council adopted, that the number of hours change to ten hours, up from two hours’ guaranteed pay for being called back to work outside of normal working hours.
Employees would receive 10 hours for being on-call plus time worked as already outlined in the existing policy. The city currently has three employees, usually one primary (Crew Leader) and two secondaries, on-call at all times. Each employee will be on-call five or six times a year.
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TownTalk: Local Health Update With Lisa Harrison
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought laser-focused attention to the need for community partnerships, and Granville-Vance Health Director Lisa Harrison knows firsthand the value of working together to assure overall community health.
Harrison, who recently completed her term as president of the National Association of City and County Health Officers, attended a national conference in Washington, DC, where public health officials gathered to talk about topics like vaccine equity.
“We had a really exciting day,” Harrison told John C. Rose on Monday’s TownTalk.
No matter where you find yourself – in the business world, faith community, education or simply a parent of young children, Harrison said “it’s wonderful that people are recognizing the hard work that the public health workforce commits to all the time to fight disease and promote health.”
“It doesn’t matter who you are in this community of ours, people’s health is one of the most important measures of wealth we have in this society. And I’m glad that people are realizing that there are people working hard to keep it that way,” she said.
Both Vance and Granville counties are currently enjoying low incidences of COVID-19 cases, but Harrison said flu is making its presence felt in the two counties.
“We are definitely seeing an uptick,” she said. “We need people to be washing hands and getting flu shots,” she said.
Vaccines provide protection for so many different diseases and sicknesses, she said, from shingles to COVID, childhood diseases to flu and pneumonia.
But access to vaccines still poses barriers and so she said public health professionals have to consider ways to get vaccines out into the community.
“We have to make an effort to go out into neighborhoods where transportation is a challenge for people and where there are maybe pockets of folks who don’t have the same amount of knowledge about the importance of vaccinations and staying healthy,” she said.
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TownTalk: Christmas Parade And More Coming To Downtown Henderson
The Vance County Arts Council is pulling out all the stops as the holiday season approaches. This umbrella organization has its fingers in a lot of pies this time of year, from wreath-making workshops with senior adults to free concerts and organizing the annual Henderson Christmas parade.
And Alice Sallins is up for the challenge. She spoke with John C. Rose on Monday’s TownTalk to provide an update on all the upcoming festivities.
There’s a free community concert that will take place on Nov. 26 at 4 p.m. at McGregor Hall. The “Tidings of Comfort and Joy” musical event will include local musicians like Jimmy Barrier and the Sound Barriers, Ben Lawrence and Orlando Owens, just to name a few.
“It’s going to be an awesome show,” Sallins said. “We want it to be a good show and free to the community,” she said, adding that it will include secular and sacred music. Visit www.vanceartscouncil.com to read more.
The Christmas parade will take place next weekend, but Sallins said she really needs to have the applications by Friday, Nov. 25. It’s ok if folks drop their applications in the mail by Friday, because that means she should get them Monday. There’s a quick turnaround time for letting participants know their order in the parade lineup by Tuesday.
Click on https://vanceartscouncil.com/event/henderson-nc-christmas-parade-2022/ to find the entry form.
“Each year, it seems like the citizens go out of their way to have a bigger and better parade,” she said, adding that there will be some new faces and groups in this year’s lineup.
“Every year, our goal is to make it a little bigger and a little better.”
The parade is really shaping up, Sallins said. “So far I have 60 forms,” she noted, but expects to have at least 120 entries by parade time, which is Saturday, Dec. 3, beginning at 3 p.m.
“Last year the parade was beautiful and colorful – there were a lot of original floats and professional floats,” she said.
Triange Floats is sending “a bunch of floats” this year – at least eight more than last year, Sallins said.
Vance County Schools has 27 entries, she said. Marching bands, fire departments and military entities all enter for free. The parade proceeds help fund arts council programs.
Some of those programs include six fall and winter wreath-making workshops. Upcoming workshops the senior center are on Dec. 13 and Dec. 15, she said.
The arts council gave distributed craft kits to youngsters and arts council representatives will visit area schools to do arts and crafts activities with students as well.
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Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Reuse Before Recycling
Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.
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Sandra Wilkerson New President Of H-V Chamber Of Commerce
Sandra Wilkerson has been named president of the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce, effective January 1, 2023.
Wilkerson has been the Chamber’s director of programs for the past four years, and she said Friday that she is looking forward to her new role with the Chamber.
“I am excited to step into this leadership role for our community and look forward to working with the board and all of our current team members who make our chamber as strong and vibrant as it is,” she said in a press statement released Friday.
Wilkerson takes over from outgoing president Michele Burgess, who announced last month her plans to step down at the end of the year.
“We are excited to have Sandra step into this leadership role to continue the positive momentum within our Chamber as well as the community,” incoming board chairman Bert Long said in the press statement. “Sandra has made it clear that she hopes to foster collaboration and provide a pathway to business for all in our community,” Long said.
In addition to the past four years as the chamber’s director of programs, Wilkerson was employed for 32 years with the City of Henderson, where she served in various roles.
In 2011 she was honored as a recipient of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine. Among the most prestigious awards conferred by the Governor of North Carolina, it is awarded to persons for exemplary service to the State of North Carolina and their communities that is above and beyond the call of duty and which has made a significant impact and strengthened North Carolina.
Warren Residents Can Apply For Help Paying Heating Bills
Eligible Warren County residents can apply to get help with heating bills again this winter from a state assistance program. Applicants who received a payment last year are automatically entered into this year’s round of disbursements, according to information from the Warren County manager’s office.
Families that applied for and received a one-time payment from the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) to help with heating costs last year don’t have to re-apply for the same help this year – those recipients should receive notices this month which asks for any relevant changes to the household. Changes may be submitted to the local Department of Social Services, but if everything is the same as last year, no action is required, Duncan noted.
The recipient will be informed that an automated LIEAP payment has been made, according to was given to them.
Households not included in the target population will be able to apply following the regular LIEAP application policy that runs from Dec. 1 through Dec. 31, and is designated for disabled individuals who receive services through the
Division of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS) OR for households with a person age 60 and above.
These households are eligible in the month of December or until funds are exhausted. Applications for general public will be taken from January 1, 2023 through March 31 or until funds are used up.
Applicants must provide certain information to determine eligibility, including a photo ID and household financial information. Find the complete list of documents at wizs.com.
Please bring the following information to determine eligibility:
- Photo Identification
- Mail or document showing current address (rental agreement, utility bill, etc.)
- Information about your household’s income. If anyone works, bring wage stubs for the month prior to the month you visit the agency. Bring letter from Social Security Administration to confirm benefits or a statement that shows direct deposit.
- Recent statement for savings or checking accounts.
- Name, date of birth & social security card or numbers for each household member.
- A bill from your primary source of heat (used the MOST, to heat your home). Households that heat with wood/kerosene, will not have a bill to submit. Heating source bill-If the bill is not in applicant’s name, the applicant must provide a written statement from the person whose name the bill is in (must be 18 & older), stating that the applicant is responsible for payment of the heating expense.
If you or someone you know is not physically able to come to the agency to apply, that person may provide a trusted individual (representative) with a written statement authorizing that representative to apply for LIEAP on their behalf. A contact number for the applicant must be provided and all necessary documentation must be provided.
The program is being administered by Warren County DSS, located at 307 N. Main Street
Warrenton, NC 27589.
Call the Warren County DSS office at 252.257.5000 to learn more.
Henderson Christmas Parade Dec. 3 At 3 PM
Get ready for the Henderson Christmas parade, which is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 3 at 3 p.m. in downtown Henderson.
The holiday spirit will fill the streets as floats, cars and marching groups – all decorated for the festivities – delight onlookers.
Want to participate? You’ve got to fill out an entrant application beforehand. Contact Alice Sallins to learn how at 252.767.4579.
WIZS Radio Local News Audio 11-18-22 Noon
Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.
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Vance Historical Society Spearheading Fundraiser For Clopton Marker
Gill Clopton gave his time, talent and energy to shine a positive light on his community. He scanned tens of thousands of photos, documents as a way to preserve those bits of history and memories, file by file.
But friends who remember Clopton, who died Monday at the age of 61, have memories of him dropping by with a single photo of interest, covering high school sports and ringing the bell by the Salvation Army kettle at Christmas.
A visitation for Clopton will be held at Sossamon Funeral Home tonight from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., followed by a funeral service Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Salvation Army on Ross Mill Road.
The Vance County Historical Society is collecting money to help purchase a marker for Clopton, according to Mark Pace, as a small way to show appreciation for all the work Clopton did on behalf of the historical society and for the genealogical society. Send checks or money orders made out to Vance County Historical Society, 11 E. Spring St., Oxford, NC 27565, with
“Memorial Fund for Gill Clopton” in the memo line. Or call 919.603.5182.
Pace said that he and Clopton both were Class of 1979 graduates of Vance Senior High School, and although their paths crossed when they lived and worked in Raleigh years ago, it wasn’t until about 10 years ago that the two discovered their shared enthusiasm for history.
“I’ve talked to him practically every day for the last ten years,” Pace said, recalling moments when they would ask each other obscure questions about local history.
Pace estimated that Clopton probably scanned as many as 60,000 photos, many from the local newspaper, but others from private sources and from other local agencies like the Henderson Police Department.
While talking on Thursday’s TownTalk, Pace and Bill Harris praised Clopton’s efforts and diligence to the ongoing archiving project.
“I feel very confident that the work he’s done…it will be out there and people can have access to it,” Pace said.
“Gill had the inclination to do it, he had the time to do it…and he had the meticulousness to want to sit there and want to do hours of work,” often tedious and monotonous.
“I can’t tell you how much people in the future will benefit from the work that Gill did,” Pace said.