Revlon donates hand sanitizer to city employees

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Revlon, a name long associated with health and beauty products like shampoo and makeup, showed up Monday to the City of Oxford municipal building with a timely donation, but it won’t make hair more manageable or lashes thicker. It will, however, keep your hands clean.

Oxford city employees gladly received 500 bottles of hand sanitizer, donated by Revlon, that city employees across all departments can use to keep them safe.

Revlon Director Tim Lumpkins presented the boxes of hand sanitizer to City Manager Alan Thornton, City Clerk Cynthia Bowen, Human Resources Director Melissa Labar, Engineering Technician Darrell Smith and Code Enforcement Officer Antwan Rice.

City officials released a press release and said, “We are truly thankful to have wonderful neighbors and are proud to serve the great City of Oxford.”

Granville Vance Public Health Logo

For Once the Fifth out of Five is a Good Thing

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Almost 25 percent of Vance County residents are at least partially vaccinated against COVID-19, according to a weekly data update from Granville-Vance Public Health. Beginning April 7, any adult is eligible to get the vaccine, following an announcement from Gov. Roy Cooper to open up the shot to Group 5.

GVPH Director Lisa Harrison said as of Thursday, March 25, GVPH has administered 20,606 vaccines including 14,218 first doses and 6,388 second doses. There are several second-dose clinics scheduled for next week that will boost the vaccination of fully vaccinated residents even higher, the report stated.

In Granville County, almost 23 percent of the population is at least partially vaccinated.

“As we heard on health director calls and press conferences (Thursday), North Carolina has continued to make progress on vaccinating each priority group and many counties (like ours) are ready to progress into Group 5. We look forward to welcoming any and everyone who needs and wants a vaccine to our clinics and are grateful for our partner providers of vaccine in the two-county district,” Harrison stated in the weekly update.

Gov. Cooper loosened some COVID-19 restrictions, effective at 5 p.m. Friday, Mar. 26, to allow higher occupancy in restaurants and bars, among other businesses. The state’s mask mandate, however, remains in effect.

Transportation is available through KARTS (Kerr Area Transportation Authority) free of charge to vaccine locations seven days a week. Check out KartsNC.com or call 252.438.2573.

Call the COVID-19 hotline 252.295.2503 to make an appointment in either county.

There have been 5,496 cases of COVID-19 in Granville County and 4,569 cases of COVID-19 in Vance County for a total of 10,065 across the health district.

At this time, 77 deaths have been reported as a result of COVID-19 in Granville County; 85 deaths have been reported in Vance County.

Visit the NCDHHS COVID-19 Dashboard to see statewide COVIDF-19 data. Relevant graphs from these dashboards are available on the local health department website at https://gvph.org/covid-19_dashboard/.

To learn more about restrictions currently in place in North Carolina and the phased approach to lifting those restrictions, please visit Staying Ahead of the Curve.

85 Percent of H-V 911 Calls for VCSO and HPD; All Other Agencies Combined 15 Percent

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Information obtained Thursday from Henderson-Vance County Emergency Operations, concerning the number of dispatches made to area agencies in 2020, shows the Vance County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched the most in this area, receiving a total of 39,077 calls or 43.94 percent of the total.

Not far behind was the Henderson Police Department with 36,332 calls or 40.85 percent of total call volume.

Calls in Vance County with Henderson-Vance County Emergency Operations being involved in 2020 for the North Carolina State Highway Patrol totaled one percent or 892 calls.

Keep in mind some calls for all agencies would have been hang ups but still required some follow up.

Remembering covid was not recognized as being present in North Carolina until March of 2020, if a majority of calls represented points of exposure to those responding, then local law enforcement faced many times over the risk and points of exposure to covid than did their counterpart first responders in all the EMS, Rescue Squad and all fire departments in Henderson and Vance County including all volunteer companies as well as forestry and the fire marshal’s office combined.

And it’s not even close.

Essentially, the local law enforcement agencies of the HPD and the VCSO “answered the call” 84.79 percent of the time in 2020. The NC SHP did one percent in Vance County in 2020. That leaves just 14.21 percent for everybody else combined.  Also keep in mind the SHP can be otherwise dispatched.

Vance County EMS got the call 7,489 times or 8.42 percent.

The Henderson Fire Department was on the receiving end of the call 2,083 times in 2020 or 2.34 percent of the time.

The Vance County Fire Department had 880 calls or .99 percent.

Everybody else combined accounted for 2.46 percent of the calls.

EMS and Fire first responders were slated for covid vaccines before law enforcement by the State of North Carolina. But if there are no apples to oranges comparisons here, and there could be because these are just numbers/stats, then those getting the call 15 percent of the time were put in front of those getting the call 85 percent of the time for the covid vaccine.

These numbers are facts.  None of these numbers are reported to in any way undercut any agency or minimize even one of the calls.

A total of 88,937 call records exist for Vance County E911 for the year 2020.

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TownTalk 03-25-21 Covid Vaccinations For First Responders

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Thank you for listening to WIZS Radio, Your Community Voice!

Continued discussion about covid vaccine availability to first responders such as EMS, Fire, Police, Deputies and Highway Patrol.

TownTalk Broadcast for 3-25-21.

Local Chambers Promote Small Business; Looking Biz of Year!

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Nominations are being accepted at local Chambers of Commerce for the 2020 Small Business of the Year.

Henderson-Vance Chamber President Michele Burgess noted several criteria for companies who are nominated. Anyone can nominate a company for consideration, and companies may self-nominate, she said.

All nominated companies must submit a written application to the Chamber office no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, April 16, 2021.

The deadline is Monday, April 12 to submit written applications to the Granville Chamber in Oxford, according to a written statement from that Chamber’s Small Business Committee.

Both chambers use the following criteria for a small business to be nominated:

  • employs a maximum of 50 people
  • is a member of the local chamber and is located in the county
  • has been in business at least 3 years and is experiencing growth or stability over its business life
  • provides critical service or products, fills a void in the business community, or has a unique approach to the delivery of goods and services
  • Is not a governmental agency or municipality

In addition to the above criteria, the Granville Chamber lists two more criteria for consideration:

  • May have overcome diverse or extraordinary circumstances  to remain in business
  • Is supportive of community growth sustainability
  • Representative(s) of each small business completing a written application will be invited to a Small Business luncheon

All applications are confidential.

Email michele@hendersonvance.org or call the H-V Chamber at 252.438.8414 to learn more and to request an application. Copies also are available at the Chamber office, 414 S. Garnett St., open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information about the Granville application, email wanda@granville-chamber.com or call the Oxford office 919.693.6125. Copies of the application are also available for pickup at the Oxford office, located at 124 Hillsboro St.

Multi-Employer, Virtual Hiring Event March 30 at 11 a.m.

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NC Works is having a virtual multi-employer hiring event at 11 a.m. on March 30.

Positions range from assemblers, machine operators, material handlers, welders and more.

The most direct method for this and other job availabilities is to visit events.kerrtarworks.com. You can also call the NCWorks Career Center at 919 693 2686.

In addition, WIZS Radio in Henderson has formed a new partnership with the H-V Chamber of Commerce. As there are job openings in our area, the Chamber is going to help compile and list, and the radio station is going to announce it and publish it for the community to hear and see. This is an additional effort that continues and builds further on what the Kerr Tar Regional Council of Governments has been doing in partnership with NC Works.

Covid Vaccine – Who and What Decides the “Law” of Who Gets It and When

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There is little doubt that the response to COVID-19 has changed dramatically since the global pandemic was first declared more than a year ago. Information about vaccine availability in North Carolina and groups currently eligible to get a vaccine are hot topics of conversation. The NC Department of Health and Human Services and local public health officials are continually updating information to keep the community informed.

But many people, including local law enforcement officials, have expressed frustration about just how and when those vaccines are distributed and being given.

Since the first vaccines were administered, there have been shifts in groups and phases eligible to get the vaccine. For instance, Phase 1b originally included people 75 years old or older. In mid-January, however, that age was amended to include those 65 years or older; the Centers for Disease Control recommended that first responders be included among the first wave of vaccinations; North Carolina determined that first responders would fall into a lower priority category.

3-24-21 TownTalk Broadcast Audio

Granville-Vance Public Health Director Lisa Harrison said because North Carolina placed first responders in Group 3, law enforcement officers “were officially only allowed to access the vaccine” since March 3. North Carolina moved to Group 3 for Frontline Essential Workers that includes childcare and PreK-12 school workers on Feb. 24, she said. “But truthfully, we started with first responders and kept rolling with them as much as possible, since there was mixed interest among those in Groups 1 and 2. Those who came to us for vaccine were not turned away,” Harrison noted.

Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow said his department got information in December regarding the shot that later was taken back. “Back in December, they had an entirely different play book,” Barrow told WIZS Wednesday. “The day after three of us got our first shot they changed it and moved all law enforcement further down,” he said. Fire and EMS personnel remained in the higher priority group and got their shots, he said, but “I had to scrounge and get my personnel first in where I could with leftovers.”

Barrow was quick to add that he was not being critical of local health officials. “The director has bent over backwards to help us get everyone in,” he said. “It was just how the state of North Carolina decided to place us.”

Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame told WIZS News by phone that “a large percentage of deputies and jail personnel” have been vaccinated. He said that “by working at some of the sites” of vaccination, his personnel were able to get in line when no one else was present to receive the shot and yet a few doses remained.

Jeff Rowan, first sergeant for NC Highway Patrol Troop C, District 4, said Wednesday that he followed a process to inform his personnel about the vaccine. His role was “to reach out to…personnel and find out who wanted to be vaccinated,” Rowan told WIZS News. His district includes Vance, Franklin and Warren counties, so he sent troopers’ names to the emergency management services agency in the troopers’ home counties. “Once I did that, that county would reach out to that…trooper” to set up a time to get vaccinated. “My understanding was we were in phase 2, so that wouldn’t happen until phase 1 was complete,” he said. “As of today, anyone who wanted a vaccination in this district is vaccinated,” Rowan added.

The plan to begin vaccinating Phase 1a – those health care workers and others most at risk for severe disease or death from COVID-19 – started in mid-December 2020 in North Carolina. People in Phase 1b would follow, and the groups would continue to be eligible based on certain criteria such as age, co-morbidity and places of employment. The state further defined its vaccination strategy after people from neighboring states were driving over the border to North Carolina to get their shots. People crossed county lines to get vaccinated, which also added to frustration among those who were waiting to get their shot.

“The state clarified in January that the health care workers and first responders eligible for vaccine in Group 1 needed to be COVID-19 patient-facing,” Harrison explained. That meant that EMS workers transporting sick or symptomatic patients, as well as ICU and Emergency Department workers would have priority to get the vaccine. Also, those giving the shots in large clinic settings would have priority, she said. Soon after, those in long-term care facilities and staff who had been working outbreaks with the most severe illness and death would be eligible.

At first, demand far exceeded vaccine supply, but now that trend has subsided in some counties and state news outlets have reported leftover vaccine as a result of low turnout at previous vaccination sites. Now that demand seems to be tapering off and counties’ vaccination rates rise, state officials are changing course and focusing on putting more vaccine doses in areas with lower percentage of vaccination rates.

Harrison said the health department routinely gives 2,500 shots – either first or second doses – in the two counties each week. But the first shipment received in Granville County on Dec. 22, 2020 only had 100 doses of the Moderna vaccine, she said. Appointment slots were filled as quickly as they opened up, fueling frustration in the community.

As more doses began to come in, Harrison said, the easier it was to open up a little earlier to different groups. “In our two counties, the population size and the number of providers vaccinating has allowed us to move slightly ahead of the curve and include those who needed vaccine – including dentists and first responders, beyond just those who were patient-facing, but it’s all very hard,” she said.

“We are all first responders,” said Sheriff Brame. “We just have different titles, but I’m not going to complain.” He said, “We followed the orders that came from above … I’ve always been a fighter for law enforcement, so don’t count us out.”

Harrison said Tiffanie Boone, GVPH immunization nurse, has always prioritized and included first responders in the health department vaccine program.

“It is very sad and disappointing we couldn’t get to everyone faster and prevent more severe illness and death,” Harrison said. “I agree that’s why vaccine is so very important and I appreciate those who help others understand that vaccines save lives.”

According to the NCDHHS website, North Carolina is currently vaccinating people in Groups 1, 2, 3 and 4: High-Risk Conditions and Additional Congregate Settings.

Learn more at YourSpotYourShot.nc.gov.

MAE Farm, Mike and Susanne Jones; 2021 NC Small Farmer of the Year

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Mike Jones, owner of MAE Farm in Franklin County, was named 2021 Small Farmer of the Year during Wednesday’s segment of the weeklong virtual celebration of Small Farms Week.

Jones, along with his family and other supporters, waited for the announcement of the winner in the conference room at the Franklin County Cooperative Extension Wednesday afternoon. As a lead-in to the announcement, participants viewed live feeds on Facebook Live from Louisburg and from Watauga County, where the other finalist is located.

Rosalind Dale, Extension administrator at N.C. A & T State University and associate dean in the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences made her way to the room where Jones and his contingent waited to proclaim Jones the winner. He and wife Suzanne received matching jackets emblazoned with Small Farmer of the Year, a plaque and a check for $2,000.

MAE Farm sits on 73 acres of former tobacco land in Franklin County. Jones and his family produce pasture-raised pork and do business at the State Farmers Market.

“I’m very happy to be recognized for my contributions,” Jones said during the live broadcast. Local extension agent William Landis said Jones uses a variety of conservation techniques on the farm, as well as innovative practices like silvopasture (using forested land to graze animals) and rotating pastures and allowing multiple species to graze the same land.

“Mike deserves to be Small Farmer of the Year because he is innovative, focused on conservation and a great mentor,” Landis said during a video presentation that was shown before the winner was announced.

“My success has come from cooperative places,” he said in remarks after he was named the winner. “Many, many people have helped me…I wasn’t the best at anything,” he said, adding that he just kept trying and asked for help from those around him. He said cooperation with others is key to being successful.

MAE Farm comes from the first letters of their three children’s first names, he said. It’s easy to pronounce and easy to remember. He said he didn’t get into farming to be the biggest farm or to make the most money, but to have a nice, stable life.
“I wanted to be a farmer and a father,” he said. “And I got to do both.”