You are invited to bring the family out for Downtown Louisburg’s 3rd Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony on Thursday, December 5, 2019. The festivities begin at 6 p.m. at the Courthouse Square.
Hosted by the Town of Louisburg, the evening will include cookies, hot chocolate, tea, a live band, Christmas carols by local church choirs, a reading of “Twas the Night Before Christmas” and a special guest appearance by Santa Claus.
The 2019 Christmas Parade will be held in downtown Louisburg on Sunday, December 8 from 3 until 5 p.m.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Louisburg-Tree-Lighting-2019.png265504WIZS Staffhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngWIZS Staff2019-11-21 16:53:572019-11-21 16:53:57Downtown Louisburg’s Tree Lighting Festivities to Include Visit From Santa
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-Press Release, NCDA&CS
Pecan pie lovers can celebrate. The North Carolina pecan growers have a good crop ahead of the holidays despite a relatively dry summer and damages sustained during last year’s hurricane season. That is good news for consumers wanting to incorporate local ingredients into their Thanksgiving meals.
“Reports from growers are showing a good quantity and quality of pecans this year, with pecan season running into December,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler.
The department encourages consumers to look for the Got To Be NC logo on packaged pecans, visit local farmers markets or take a trip to more than two dozen pecan orchards across the state. December 13 will be Pecan Day at the State Farmers Market, where visitors can get free samples of a pecan dessert, plus mouth-watering pecan recipes to try at home.
The N.C. Pecan Growers Association offers an online directory to help consumers find local pecan orchards at www.buyncpecans.com. The website also includes pecan recipes and downloadable activities for children.
North Carolina is one of the Top 10 pecan-producing states in the nation. While pecans are grown across the state, the majority of commercial orchards are located in Eastern and Southeastern North Carolina.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Got-to-Be-NC-Agriculture.png265504WIZS Staffhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngWIZS Staff2019-11-21 16:52:442019-11-21 16:52:44NC Pecan Growers Prevail With Good Crop for Thanksgiving
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-Press Release, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office
On Friday, November 15, 2019, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Investigative Unit arrested Lisandro Gutierrez, a Franklin County resident.
Gutierrez was charged with the following: one (1) count of Assault with a Deadly Weapon With Intent to Kill Inflicting Serious Injury.
Gutierrez was placed in the Franklin County Detention Center under a $20,000.00 secured bond.
Lisandro Gutierrez – 21 years old – 130 Coachmans Trail Louisburg, NC 27549
On Friday, November 15, 2019, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Investigative Unit arrested Lisandro Gutierrez, a Franklin County resident. Gutierrez was charged with the following: one (1) count of Assault with a Deadly Weapon With Intent to Kill Inflicting Serious Injury. (FCSO photo)
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Lisandro-Gutierezz-Mug-Shot.png265504WIZS Staffhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngWIZS Staff2019-11-20 16:53:342019-11-20 16:53:34FCSO: Gutierrez Arrested on Assault With A Deadly Weapon Charge
Six months after Chief Daren Kirts of the Youngsville Police Department announced his retirement, the Town of Youngsville announced that Lieutenant Greg Whitley of the Knightdale Police Department will be Youngsville’s next chief of police.
Town Administrator Phil Cordeiro shared, “Foremost, I’d like to express my sincerest gratitude for the department’s – and the community’s – patience and participation throughout our recruitment and selection process. I know it’s taken a bit longer than some would prefer, but this was an extremely important decision and needed to be managed with the utmost care.”
The chief of police recruitment process began in May and the town received over 60 applications for the position.
Through a process comprised of three rounds and eight separate interviews, nearly 40 assessors provided written feedback to the town administrator on candidate performance and qualifications. Assessors’ backgrounds ran the gamut, including community watch leaders, retired law enforcement professionals, neighboring town managers, current town employees, and elected officials.
Among many factors in a crowded field, Mr. Whitley was selected as chief in response to his two decades of diverse law enforcement experience and a myriad of professional law enforcement credentials – including an advanced law enforcement certificate, multiple instructor certifications, and formal training with federal agencies such as the FBI and FEMA.
In reaction to the decision, Mr. Whitley remarked, “It is an honor to be selected as chief of police. I am committed to providing the highest level of customer service to citizens through professional policing, with a focus on the training and development of officers. I believe police and community relationships are best built upon a bank of public trust and I will ensure transparency in the agency’s operations and a commitment to building community partnerships.”
Mayor Fonzie Flowers shared, “I think Mr. Whitley will bring a valuable array of skills to the department that will strengthen its ability to make Youngsville a safe and exciting place to live.” He went on to add, “And, I want to underscore my appreciation for the stalwart efforts of Interim Chief Kimball, Captain Magsi, and the entire department. Their leadership and dedication during this time of transition have propelled the department in the right direction and have forged a cohesive team of competent professionals.”
Mr. Whitley is slated to be privately sworn-in and assumes the chief role on December 2, 2019. The town will hold a public swearing-in ceremony during its regular board of commissioners meeting on Thursday, December 12, 2019, where all members of the public are welcome.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Youngsville-Police.png265504WIZS Staffhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngWIZS Staff2019-11-19 16:52:442019-11-19 16:52:44After Six Month Search, Town of Youngsville Hires Chief of Police
Cardinal Innovations Healthcare is excited to announce the launch of a new, more responsive, and solution-focused community governance structure. The Regional Health Council model brings together members, families, providers, and community stakeholders to collectively identify challenges and priorities, share best practices, and ultimately create positive change.
The model is comprised of four distinct groups that will work together, along with CFAC, to inform and direct activity and provide guidance to the Cardinal Innovations Board of Directors. For an overview of the structure, click here.
Two of the groups, the Provider Partners Council and the Operations Council, will be filled through our existing Provider Councils and Health Departments, respectively. Applications for the Regional Health Councils and Community Advisory Councils opened November 1, and we ask for your help in recruiting individuals to serve on these important councils.
The governance model will be aligned to four distinct regions comprised of five counties each. The Regional Health Council will bring together individuals from the five (5) counties to discuss and prioritize the needs of those areas, develop a Regional Health Improvement Plan (RHIP), and oversee implementation of the plan. More specific information about the requirements for this group can be found here.
The RHC will meet quarterly. Members will be selected by the Cardinal Innovations Healthcare Board of Directors during the December 2019 Board Meeting. Individuals wishing to join the RHC can fill out an application here. Applications are due no later than 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, November 24.
There will be one (1) Community Advisory Council (CAC) in each county of the Cardinal Innovations Healthcare catchment. The CAC will serve as an avenue for individuals in the community (members, families, providers, and stakeholders) to present the needs of the community to the Regional Health Councils.
Additionally, the CAC will be tasked with completing the goals of the RHIP on the local level. The CAC will meet eight (8) times a year. Voting members will be selected by each local Board of County Commissioners.
Individuals wishing to join the CAC can fill out an application here. Applications are due no later than 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, November 24.
Thank you for your support and assistance as we implement this improved model of governance.
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-Information courtesy Maria Parham Health
Living with joint pain? Join Maria Parham Multispecialty Clinic for a FREE lunch and learn event on Thursday, December 12, 2019, at Johnny Bull’s Steakhouse in Louisburg. The event will be held from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m.
Come hear from Dr. Darius A. Divina, orthopedic surgeon, on how to get back into the swing of life with treatment options for joint pain.
Topics of discussion will include:
What is osteoarthritis?
What causes joint pain?
Treatment options
Recovery process
Johnny Bull’s Steakhouse is located at 32 Golden Leaf Dr. in Louisburg, NC.
VGCC Drama is excited to present Appalachian Geisha December 6 through December 8, 2019, at VGCC’s Main Campus.
This presentation represents a first of its kind collaboration across the North Carolina Community College System. Three Colleges: Vance-Granville Community College, Catawba Valley Community College, and Wake Technical Community College are joining forces to stage this regional premiere. The play—written by Kim Stinson, Director of AFA Theatre and a Professor at Catawba Valley Community College in Hickory—will be staged five times over three days.
Front row: (left to right) Rose O’Malley, Blake Lee, Mary Parish, and Rebekah Varker; Middle Row (left to right): Kathleen Zoldos, Brian Johnson, Ashley Asycue, and Lane Wade; Back Row: (left to right): Daniel Thorpe, Savannah Morgan, Ronnie Brodie, Amanda Cease, and Matthew Varker (VGCC photo)
Performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. on December 6 and 7, with matinees at 2 p.m. on December 7 and 8. There is a special campus matinee on December 6 at 3 p.m. All performances will be in the small auditorium, in Building 2, on the Henderson campus.
Betsy Henderson, director of the show and department chair of Fine Arts and Humanities at VGCC, also serves as Vice-President on the NCCCS AFA Association Board of Directors with Stinson and Lauren La May of Wake Tech. Together, they have worked alongside university partners to draft Comprehensive Articulation Agreements for the AFA Theatre degree for both the UNC system and Independent colleges. This working relationship is where an idea to collaborate across colleges was born.
Stinson, a BFA graduate of North Carolina School of the Arts, also holds an MA in Theatre from Miami University and an MFA in Playwriting from Spalding University. Kim is also a member of the Dramatist Guild, and an award-winning, published playwright.
Geisha was born out of Stinson’s own personal experiences, “Many years ago, I worked with a woman who never wanted to leave home. She didn’t enjoy traveling and had absolutely no desire to go anywhere. That way of thinking seemed so strange to me. I wanted to explore the way that someone else’s mind worked. At the same time, my love for other cultures always drew me to Asia and Asian theatre styles.” Stinson added, “Appalachian Geisha started as my creative thesis for my MFA in Playwriting degree and has grown and changed in subsequent versions. It is a work in which I explore combining western and eastern cultures, along with writing a main character who is so incredibly different from me, in an attempt to understand my former co-worker.”
Lauren La May, a BA graduate in Theatre Design and Production from UNC Asheville, also holds an MA in Theatre from the University of Toronto, and a PhD in Theatre from the University of Georgia. Currently, she is a Theatre Instructor within the Communications and Theatre Department at Wake Tech Community College.
La May began working as a dramaturge while at the University of Georgia. After receiving her doctorate, she gained a position with Virginia Stage Company in their educational division to create curriculum and study guides for shows. Le May says, “Through Dramaturgy, I get to continue in my love of history and research while working with playwrights, directors, actors and designers. I love the chance to work with a production team again and am excited for this collaboration with my colleagues from other community colleges.”
Henderson was interested in giving VGCC drama students the opportunity to work so closely with a playwright and dramaturge, and to have these theatre professionals be a part of the rehearsal process. “Not many young actors get to have such an experience,” says Henderson. Both Stinson and La May will also be attending performances of Geisha, where they will take part in a talk-back discussion enabling audiences to ask questions of the cast, crew, playwright, and dramaturge. Talkback discussions will occur immediately following the Friday and Saturday evening performances and there is no extra charge for the audience to attend.
The cast and crew are comprised of both VGCC and Early College students (Vance and Warren Counties). Actors include Savannah Morgan, Brian Johnson, Mary Parish, Rose O’Malley, Daniel Thorpe, Kathleen Zoldos, Blake Lee, and Ashley Ayscue. Brother and sister Matthew and Rebekah Varker serve as Stage Managers.
The production crew includes Lane Wade, Josh Nehy, Ronnie Brodie, Tre’quan Johnson, and Amanda Cease.
Admission is $15 for the general public and $10 for students and VGCC employees. Tickets may be purchased at the door, but attendees are encouraged to secure their seats by purchasing tickets online. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/appalachian-geisha-tickets-80859983387
For more information, contact Betsy Henderson at (252) 738-3371, or hendersonb@vgcc.edu.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/VGCC-Appalachian-Geisha-Cast.png265504WIZS Staffhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngWIZS Staff2019-11-13 16:56:102019-11-13 16:56:10VGCC Drama to Present ‘Appalachian Geisha’ Dec 6-8
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-Information courtesy the Town of Louisburg
The Town of Louisburg will host the 2019 Christmas Parade in downtown Louisburg on Sunday, December 8 from 3 until 5 p.m.
Parade entry begins at the intersection of North Main Street and Smoketree Way. The parade will move south on Main Street, continue past Louisburg College, and turn onto Wade Avenue/Johnson Street for disbandment.
Applications to participate in the parade are now being accepted. Interested participants should submit their application by mail or drop off at the Town of Louisburg at 110 West Nash Street, Louisburg, NC 27549.
Entries postmarked by November 20 will be considered for inclusion based on the number of entries needed for each category. Accepted entrants will be notified prior to the parade.
For additional information on the parade, including cost, float requirements and drop off/unloading instructions, please click here.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Louisburg-Christmas-Parade.png265504WIZS Staffhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngWIZS Staff2019-11-11 16:56:582019-11-11 16:56:58Town of Louisburg Will Host 2019 Christmas Parade Sun. Dec. 8
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-Press Release, Triangle North Healthcare Foundation
Triangle North Healthcare Foundation’s Board of Directors has awarded $258,500 in grants to local organizations in the Foundation’s seventh annual grant cycle. With the 2019 grant award, the Foundation’s contributions to the community total over $1.8 million since the Foundation began grantmaking in 2013.
“The primary purpose of our grantmaking is to invest in organizations that share our mission to improve health in our region,” said Val Short, executive director for the Foundation. “Our hope is that these grant awards will result in improved health and healthier outcomes for children and adults in Vance, Warren, Granville, and Franklin counties,” said Short.
The eight grants approved by the board fall under one or more of the five funding priorities established by the Foundation in 2013, including chronic disease, mental health and substance abuse, nutrition and physical activity, reproductive health, and success in school as related to health and wellness.
“In all of our grant programs, health and wellness are at the heart of the work they will do,” said Short.
The list of the grant recipients and their projects for 2019-20 includes:
Alliance Rehabilitative Care (ARC) – Access to Dental Care – Residents entering the substance abuse halfway house in Henderson will receive dental screening and preventive care and, when necessary, more extensive dental treatment to prevent further decay and to promote overall health.
Henderson Family YMCA – 1) Girls on the Run – a self-esteem and healthy lifestyles program for girls & boys culminating in a 5k run/walk at the end of each semester; 2) Safety Around Water – teaches water safety and drowning prevention skills to 2nd graders in Vance County.
NC Med Assist– Free Pharmacy Program & Over-the-Counter Giveaways –– provides free medications and support for low income and uninsured individuals in the Triangle North Region. In addition, two over-the-counter medicine giveaways will be implemented this year in Vance and Granville counties.
Shepherd Youth Ranch – Trail to Success – Provide skill building for youth suffering from grief, loss, abandonment and abuse. Partial scholarships will be provided to 10 youth who are referred by the school system or law enforcement who will enter into an intensive 24-week program, which consists of weekly group and monthly family sessions in a unique program that uses horses to help with therapy.
Strength and Mending (S.a.M) ChildAdvocacy Center – ChildForensic Interviews – provides a centralized, child-centered approach to investigation that reduces the risk of trauma to the children who are victims of abuse; increases opportunities for healing for the child and non-offending family members.
TROSA (Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers, Inc.) – Rebuilding Lives: Mental Health & Substance Abuse Recovery – provides a two-year residential recovery program with treatment, education, vocational training and care for residents of the Triangle North region who suffer from alcohol and substance abuse, free of charge.
Working Landscapes – What’s Growing in Granville County— in partnership with Granville Vance Public Health & Granville County Schools, this program aims to improve the health of students in Granville County Schools by learning about and consuming healthy, locally grown food.
Located in Henderson, Triangle North Healthcare Foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations, governmental agencies, and schools in Vance, Warren, Granville, and Franklin counties. The Foundation’s grant funding mission has been made possible by the endowment that was established after Maria Parham Health merged with the for-profit Duke-Lifepoint in 2011.
The Foundation will launch a new grant cycle in the spring of 2020, but in the meantime, the Foundation staff is available to discuss ideas for grant projects or to provide assistance with grant writing. Call the Foundation office at 252-430-8532 for information about future grant opportunities or visit the Foundation’s website at www.tnhfoundation.org .
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Maurice Ashley, the first African-American International Grandmaster in chess, served as the keynote speaker for the eighth annual Small Business Summit, presented by the Vance-Granville Community College Small Business Center and the Warren County Economic Development Commission in partnership with the Lake Gaston Regional Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center and the Chamber of Commerce of Warren County.
The event, entitled “It’s All About the Path You Choose – Using the Right Strategy to Make the Best Moves,” was held on October 29 at the Warren County Armory & Civic Center in Warrenton.
As a nationally-recognized motivational speaker, Ashley discusses the character-building effects of chess. He also examines how the strategies used in the game can be translated into strategies to be used in business, or in any facet of life.
Ashley is a commentator for the biggest chess events in the world, including the World Chess Championships, the US Chess Championships, the Grand Chess Tour and the legendary Man vs. Machine matches between Garry Kasparov and IBM’s Deep Blue. He is a member of the US Chess Hall of Fame, a championship coach, an author, and the designer of a mobile app, “Learn Chess with Maurice Ashley.”
After his remarks, Ashley wowed the spellbound audience by playing – and winning – a chess match while blindfolded.
Former U.S. Representative Eva Clayton gave an introduction of Ashley through a pre-recorded video message.
The event was made possible in part through a grant from NC IDEA, a private foundation with a mission to maximize the economic potential of the people of North Carolina by supporting the formation and fruition of high-growth entrepreneurial endeavors in the state.
During the summit, NC IDEA President and CEO Thom Ruhe gave a brief presentation on “Ice House Entrepreneurship,” an experiential, problem-based program designed to empower learners by exposing them to entrepreneurial thinking while immersing them in entrepreneurial experiences that will enable them to develop creativity and critical thinking, effective problem solving, teamwork, and other entrepreneurial skills.
“I am so pleased with this year’s event and am grateful for Stacy Woodhouse, EDC Director of Warren County, and his efforts in securing an NC IDEA grant, which made it possible to bring a speaker of the caliber of Maurice Ashley to our event. He did not disappoint!” said VGCC Small Business Center Director Sheri Jones. “It was also a pleasure to have Thom Ruhe present and to have him promote Ice House Entrepreneurship to the crowd. It was a wonderful introduction to a program that we are bringing to the area in January.”
For more information about the services available to entrepreneurs through the VGCC Small Business Center, contact Sheri Jones at 252-738-3240 or joness@vgcc.edu.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/vgcc.png265504WIZS Staffhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngWIZS Staff2019-11-07 16:55:432019-11-07 16:55:43Chess Grandmaster Headlines VGCC Small Business Summit
