Winter Weather

Winter Storm Updates (12-9-18)

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Remember to tune in to WIZS Radio at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM with a regular radio.

Click here for the LATEST BRIEFING FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

You may report weather delays and cancellations by email to news@wizs.com or by text at 432-0774. Delays and cancellations will be posted on the WIZS Facebook page – click here – and announced on the air for this event.

Winter Storm Update 8 a.m. (12-9-18)

The situation across Vance County is serious and is likely to become more dangerous.  Vance County appears, at this time, to be the dividing line for the snow and freezing rain, with a sharp projected difference in the likely snow fall amounts – from 10 inches in the northwest to 4 inches in the southeast.

Brian Short, Henderson-Vance County Director of Emergency Operations says:

“Attached (above link) is the latest from the NWS regarding our current winter storm. The roads are already covered in Vance County, and, as I type this email, the snow is coming down hard. As you can see from the attached graphics there is very tight gradient that splits Vance County with very high amounts of snow depicted in the northwest quadrant. This is of course an estimate and is dependent on a number of factors. Regardless we are still expecting a significant snowfall with this system.

“The concern now is the amount of freezing rain that we are now forecast to receive. It has been increased since the previous briefing and now calls for amounts that are likely to cause significant power outages. The ice accumulation coupled with the wind gusts will almost certainly result in downed trees as well.

“Remember if power should be lost, please do not to use any outdoor sources of heat inside your home, meaning no charcoal or gas grills. This is extremely dangerous and should not be done. If you are using an approved indoor secondary heat source such as kerosene heater, please make sure it is at least 36 inches away from walls or other objects that could ignite from the heat. Also, be extremely careful using candles to light your home in the event of a power loss and keep them away from anything that could ignite easily.

“Remember also not to exert yourself beyond your own physical limitations shoveling snow or performing other outdoor activities. Keep in mind that if travel becomes hazardous it could take our responders longer than normal to reach you, so please use good judgment and be careful with any strenuous activities. Also, remember to take care of your pets. Remember they feel cold just like people do so please bring them inside or make arrangements outside to keep them warm.

“As of now, we are strongly encouraging everyone to stay home and off the roads. Unless you have a job that requires it, please do not venture out. You could get stuck or have an accident and end up stranded in your vehicle until help can arrive. Also, vehicles stranded in the snow can cause response delays for responders as they have to navigate around them….So please stay home and off the roads until it is safe to move around.

“Please continue to monitor the storm closely as it approaches using whatever source of information that you typically use. We will be updating our agency Facebook page regularly and will also continue to forward along additional information via email as it is received.

“We also ask that you DO NOT call 911 to report power outages. There is nothing that 911 can do about that and we cannot have your power restored any faster than if you call the power company your self. However if you lose power and have a life safety issue due to the loss of power, please call 911 immediately and let them know. For everyone else, please call your power company directly and let them know.

“Everyone please stay safe.”

Remember, a State of Emergency remains in effect after Henderson Mayor Eddie Ellington and Archie Taylor, chairman of the Vance County Board of Commissioners, proclaimed a State of Emergency for the City of Henderson and County of Vance beginning Friday, December 7, 2018, at 5 p.m. The State of Emergency will be in effect for a period of four days unless rescinded by authorities.  General Emergency Protective Measures are in place. No public restrictions are in place at this time.

H-V Emergency Operations

State of Emergency Declared for Vance County; Area Braces for Inclement Weather

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Updated – 12/07/18:

You may report weather delays and cancellations by email to news@wizs.com or by text at 432-0774. Delays and cancellations will be posted on WIZS’ Facebook page.

Henderson Mayor Eddie Ellington and Archie Taylor, chairman of the Vance County Board of Commissioners proclaimed a State of Emergency for the City of Henderson and County of Vance beginning Friday, December 7, 2018, at 5 p.m. The State of Emergency will be in effect for a period of four days unless rescinded by authorities.

General Emergency Protective Measures are in place. No public restrictions are in place at this time.

U.S. Department of Justice

Fisher Sentenced on Firearms Charge

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-Press Release, U.S. Department of Justice

The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that today, Chief United States District Judge Terrence J. Boyle sentenced KYLE VICTOR FISHER, 29, of Henderson to 42 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release. FISHER pled guilty to the Indictment, charging one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, on August 22, 2018.

On November 30, 2017, law enforcement received a report that FISHER had violated a protective order by going to the Henderson, North Carolina, apartment of his former girlfriend. The woman reported that FISHER pointed a silver revolver at her while verbally threatening to shoot her.

Later the same day, officers of the Oxford Police Department were able to locate and arrest FISHER at a hotel in Oxford where his current girlfriend was employed. FISHER had been driving his girlfriend’s car, and she gave officers permission to search the vehicle. In it, officers found a small amount of marijuana and a .38 caliber revolver matching that described in the earlier assault. The firearm was loaded and had an obliterated serial number.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Since 2017, the United States Department of Justice has reinvigorated the PSN program and has targeted violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

That effort has been implemented through the Take Back North Carolina Initiative of The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.

The investigation of this case was conducted by the Oxford Police Department and the Henderson Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jacob Pugh prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

News releases are available on the U.S. Attorney’s webpage located at www.usdoj.gov/usao/nce. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_EDNC

Granville County Logo

Fourteen Cases of Rabies Reported in Granville This Year

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-Press Release, County of Granville 

With fourteen cases of rabies reported in both wild and domestic animals since February of 2018, Granville County Animal Control and Granville-Vance Public Health continue to enforce the state’s rabies law, which requires all owners of domestic dogs, cats and ferrets to have pets vaccinated by four months of age, and to maintain the animal’s current rabies vaccination status throughout its lifetime.

According to County Ordinance, an animal control officer has the power to arrest and the responsibility to enforce all state laws and all county ordinances pertaining to the ownership, control, care and custody of dogs and other animals, cooperating with the health director and other law enforcement officers within the county and adjoining areas.

Violation of the N.C. Rabies Law is a misdemeanor and anyone not in compliance may be charged. In Granville County, 17 pet owners have been issued civil citations this year and there have been nine warnings given. Court records also indicate that three cases have appeared in Granville County Court for pet owners who were in violation of this law.

Under G.S. 14-4, any person found guilty of a misdemeanor may be subject to a fine of up to $500.

“The state’s rabies law is in place to protect the health and well-being of residents and pets,” Animal Control Director Matt Katz explains. “If you or your pet contract the rabies virus, symptoms may not be obvious until it’s too late.”

The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reports that in North Carolina, raccoon rabies is present in the raccoon population in virtually every county. While most of the Granville County confirmations have involved raccoons, it is strongly recommended that residents keep away from any wild animal.

“As diligent as our Animal Control officers are, we are not able to monitor wildlife,” Katz notes. “If you see a wild animal acting strangely – such as being out in daylight hours when it is usually nocturnal – don’t come in contact with it. Protect yourself and your family and keep your distance.”

Per Granville County ordinance, any animal bite to a human must be reported immediately to the 911 center, who notifies Animal Control for an investigation. The local health department is also contacted and closely monitors rabies cases.

“The animal control team in Granville County is quite up-to-date on laws, rules, and protocols,” said Lisa Harrison, director for Granville Vance Public Health. “We work together hand-in-hand to ensure the safety of those in our communities.”

If a domestic dog, cat or ferret bites a human and the owner does not have proof that rabies vaccines are current, the animal must be confined for observation for not less than ten days, with the local health director designating the location. If rabies does not develop within the ten-day period, the animal may be released, with the owner responsible for the cost of the confinement. If not currently vaccinated, the animal must be immunized against rabies at the end of the confinement period.

Wild animals are not subject to the ten-day confinement regulation.

If any animal – wild or domestic – is suspected of being rabid, it can be quarantined for up to six months or may be euthanized, at the discretion of the local health director. If euthanized, testing of the animal is conducted by the N.C. State Public Health Lab, and – if confirmed positive for rabies – residents of the area are notified for public health reasons. Once a rabies case has been confirmed, the director of public health has the authority to order an area-wide quarantine, where local law enforcement can impound any animal found running at large in the county.

Since the confirmed rabies cases in Granville County are widespread and not specific to one particular area, no quarantines have been issued, Harrison says, but a feral cat colony that has been exposed is being closely monitored.

“All of this can be avoided if residents follow the law and have their animals vaccinated,” Katz says. “One shot is not enough. Be sure your pet is protected by receiving all of its booster shots. If unsure of when a booster is needed, contact your local veterinarian.”

State law requires that local health directors organize or assist other county departments in organizing at least one countywide rabies clinic per year. In response to the recent number of rabies incidents, Granville County Animal Control has hosted several clinics to provide vaccinations and to educate residents about the importance of rabies vaccines.

The Granville County Animal Shelter, located at 5650 Cornwall Road in Oxford, also offers one-year rabies vaccines for dogs and cats Monday through Friday from noon until 4:30 p.m. at a cost of only $6. For more information, call 919-693-6749.

‘Cops on Top’ Surpasses Fundraising Goal for Special Olympics of NC

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Chick-fil-A of Henderson, the Henderson Police Department, the Vance County Sheriff’s Office and other community organizations once again teamed up for the annual “Cops on Top” Fundraiser for the Special Olympics of NC.

Held at Chick-fil-A on Thursday, December 6, the all-day event raised $2,291 for Special Olympics, surpassing the goal fundraiser organizers previously set of $2,000.

Lt. Jessica West with the HPD told WIZS staff that the event would not have been a success without the help and support of the entire community.

Abidan Shah, pastor of Clearview Church praised the police and fire departments and acknowledged Chick-fil-A owner/operator Josh Towne for hosting the annual event.

All money raised will go directly to Special Olympics of NC.

 

Left to right: Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow, Sheriff Curtis Brame and Pastor Abidan Shah with Clearview Church assist with the annual Cops on Top Fundraiser event at Chick-fil-a of Henderson. (Photo Credit: WIZS)

Billy Ayscue Named Rebuilding Hope’s Dec. Volunteer of the Month

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-Information courtesy Rebuilding Hope,  Inc.

Acquainted with the man who would be Rebuilding Hope’s founder and pleased with the camaraderie he later observed at the ministry, Billy Ayscue decided where to offer his time and talents.

“I knew Randolph Wilson before he started RHI and knew of his out-of-state trips to assist people with storm damage,” says Billy, now an eight-year RHI volunteer.

“Several years ago, I was looking for something to do when other activities were winding down,” he says.

Billy Ayscue, an eight-year volunteer, named Rebuilding Hope’s December 2018 Volunteer of the Month. (Photo Credit: RHI)

On a trip to donate some building materials at RHI’s old location on Oliver Drive, Billy says Randolph shared with him how he wanted the ministry to help meet housing needs in Vance and surrounding counties.

On another trip to RHI, Billy says he noticed the good-natured way volunteers were going about setting up a tent that would serve as a heated space for men’s prayer group meetings.

He concluded that RHI was “obviously a good place to be with a good group of people.”

The ministry “provides an opportunity to spend time in the company of Christian men and to be a part of helping others with their needs, both physical and spiritual,” he says.

Billy, a Vance County native and resident, served six years on RHI’s board of directors. Today he mans the application and phone desk a day each week and, as needed, assists with fundraising and delivering materials to work sites.

“We always ask to have prayer with applicants before they leave,” Billy says. “They’re asked about anything going on in their lives for which they may want prayer. Quite often, at the completion, tears are in the applicant’s eyes. It makes you wonder if this is the first time in their lives that someone has prayed specifically and directly for them.”

Billy retired in 1990 after 30 years with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture. He managed several agricultural research stations, including those in Oxford, Clinton, Salisbury and Rocky Mount.

A member of Raleigh Road Baptist Church, he teaches the Adult Sunday School Class and served as association Sunday school director. He served as deacon and Sunday school director in other churches as his family moved around the state.

He is a former active-duty U.S. Navy aviator and is retired from the Navy Reserve.

Billy and Nancy have been married for 58 years and have two children, two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

In his leisure time, Billy says he enjoys woodworking and gardening.

Families Living Violence Free

Families Living Violence Free in Need of Donations for the Holidays

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-Press Release, Families Living Violence Free

Families Living Violence Free in Oxford, giving voice and support to victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse through a myriad of programs and services, has a pressing need for donations this holiday season, Executive Director Wally Hurst disclosed today.

“At this time of year, there are always a high number of families and individuals in turmoil. This is especially true of victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse. What for most of us is a joyful and loving time, the holiday season can be, for these victims, a time of isolation and terror instead. At these times, Families Living Violence Free wants to be ready to assist our clients in as many ways as possible,” Hurst said.

Items in short supply currently at FLVF include gift cards for gas and grocery stores, ready-eat foods, blankets and coats, laundry products, baby clothing and educational toys for babies, and gift certificates for local restaurants and services. Victims escaping violent behavior may present themselves at the very moment that they are escaping this volatile environment, and they may need immediate assistance with basic necessities, such a food, clothing, shelter and transportation, Hurst emphasized.

The services of FLVF are free to all and confidential. We seek to empower and support these victims on all levels.

Items may be donated in person at the FLVF office at 126 Oxford Outer Loop Road, 2d Floor, in Oxford, or mailed to FLVF, P.O. Box 1362, Oxford, NC 27565. Please call our office at 919-693-3579 if you need donations picked up, and we will do our best to accommodate all donors.

Thank you to the Granville County community in advance for your continued generosity!

(This is not a paid advertisement)

News 12/07/18

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Dr. Rachel Desmarais Chosen as Next President of VGCC

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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Dr. Rachel M. Desmarais has been chosen as the next president of Vance-Granville Community College. With the final approval of the appointment by the State Board of Community Colleges on Dec. 18, she becomes the seventh president in the 49-year history of the college.

The VGCC Board of Trustees selected Dr. Desmarais on Wednesday, Dec. 5, following presentations by three finalists in a series of public forums from Nov. 30 through Dec. 4.

“The Board of Trustees has concluded Dr. Desmarais possesses the key attributes of an outstanding president that were identified in our search process,” said Danny W. Wright, chair of the board. “We are confident that Dr. Desmarais will provide: the visionary leadership to help our college expand and to promote economic development in our four counties, a powerful commitment to student recruitment and retention, the dedication to improving the lives of the people in our service area, the attention to facility planning and sustainability, and the articulation of our mission and vision to the college’s employees and the communities we serve.”

Dr. Rachel M. Desmarais, chosen as seventh president of Vance-Granville Community College.

The selection comes after a nationwide search that produced 89 applicants. She will begin work early in 2019.

The executive vice president and chief operating officer of Forsyth Technical Community College in Winston-Salem since 2015, Dr. Desmarais has been with Forsyth Tech in a variety of roles since becoming a department chair in 2002. Once a student at Forsyth Tech, taking Information Technology and Programming courses in 1994-1995, Dr. Desmarais became an adjunct instructor at the community college from 1996 to 1999 while also working in the private sector. She became the vice president of information services at Forsyth Tech in 2008 and moved to vice president of planning and information services in 2010 before assuming her current position.

She earned her doctorate of philosophy in instructional design and technology from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., in 2015 after getting her masters of science in information technology management from the University of North Carolina in Greensboro in 2003. She earned a bachelor of music degree in voice performance from Mars Hill College in 1992.

She was also among fewer than 40 aspiring and emerging community college presidents nationwide who were chosen for the Aspen Institute Presidential Fellowship for Community College Excellence in 2017-2018.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve and lead Vance-Granville Community College as its seventh president,” said Dr. Desmarais after being given the news on Wednesday night. “VGCC is a special place with students, faculty, staff, and board members who care for and take great pride in the college and community. I look forward to building on the strong value and culture already present in the college to cultivate a new shared vision for VGCC and its communities. Together, we will truly be Vanguards!”

Born in Sumter, S.C., while her father was stationed at Shaw Air Force Base, she moved to Alabama when her family returned home after the Vietnam War.

“I got to watch my dad march across the stage at Auburn University as an electrical engineer,” Dr. Demarais said. “My mother was a preschool teacher. I got exposure to education at a young age, and I saw the value of it.”

Her family found a new home in Orangeburg, S.C., for her father’s first job after college and then eventually Rock Hill, S.C., where she attended middle school and completed her secondary education.

Since her move to Mars Hill, N.C., at the age of 18 to attend college, she has remained in North Carolina, noting that her career has taken her from music education to an administrative assistant in manufacturing to information technology and ultimately to community college administration.

She still has a desire to teach and said she now blends that desire with her love of information and technology to help students find success in the classroom.

“I have a real passion for using data from our students to help them learn how to learn,” she said. “Students have jobs. They have their lives to lead while going to college. They have much to juggle. We have a responsibility to make sure that the education we offer them is as efficient and effective in its delivery as it can be.

“I’m really a strong believer in institutional effectiveness,” she added. “The data can be used as a tool to help our students succeed. We need always to use it as a positive tool. An educated society is a happier, more fulfilled society.”

Her work in the private sector includes a period from 1999 to 2002 when she worked with the Womble Carlyle Sandridge Rice law firm and later a subsidiary, FirmLogic, in Winston-Salem as a systems support manager and, later, project manager. She was assistant to the director of manufacturing and a systems analyst for Highland Industries in Kernersville in 1997-1999.

She also has been actively involved in community projects in the Winston-Salem area, including the United Way; Boy Scouts of America; Forsyth Futures, a non-profit community data research organization; WinstonNet Inc., a non-profit community technology initiative; the Center for Design Innovation; and the Board of Cooperative Ministries for the Southern Province of the Moravian Church.

Dr. Desmarais has an adult son, Ian, who is currently a biotechnology major at Forsyth Tech. Her younger son, Conall, who will be completing the eighth grade, is interested in attending an early college high school. Her husband, she said, plans to retain his job in the Winston-Salem area as he is able to do the majority of his work off-site.

The search process for the new president began in September when the Trustees selected the firm of Executive Leadership Associates (ELA) LLP of Emerald Isle to help the board create a profile of the ideal presidential candidate needed for VGCC, to guide the search process and to recruit and screen applicants. Applications and nominations were accepted beginning Oct. 8 with a deadline of Nov. 9.

Serving on the VGCC Trustees’ presidential search committee were Trustees Deborah Brown, chair; Herb Gregory, vice chair; N. Annette P. Myers, Abdul Sm Rasheed, Donald C. Seifert, Sr., and Sara C. Wester.

With the guidance of ELA, a consortium of former North Carolina community college presidents, the list of candidates was narrowed to five by the board’s search committee. On Nov. 19, at the regular bimonthly meeting of the board, the Trustees trimmed the list to three finalists who were invited to the college to meet with staff and faculty, county officials, chamber members and the public to participate in individual forums. Attendees were given the opportunity to provide input on each finalist via a form distributed at the forums or verbally to representatives of ELA in attendance.

The board met on Dec. 4 following the last of the interviews with candidates. A final decision on the selection was made at a continuation of that meeting, on Dec. 5, following the results of a vetting process conducted by the State Board of Community Colleges.

“After this carefully executed selection process, we believe Dr. Desmarais has the background and the experience to move us and our communities forward,” Trustee Wright said. “We do appreciate our two other finalists who showed such a strong interest in helping our college advance, and we owe much to the members of the public sector who also attended the forums and assisted us in this search process as well.”

The two other finalists were Dr. Quentin Johnson of Mooresville, vice president of Student Support Services at Guilford Technical Community College in Greensboro, and Dr. Melanie Thornton of Albany, Ga., vice president of academic affairs at Columbus Technical College in Columbus, Ga.

The new president succeeds Dr. Stelfanie Williams who left in August to become the vice president for Durham affairs at Duke University. Dr. Gordon Burns, retired president of Wilkes Community College, is serving as interim president for VGCC until Dr. Desmarais takes office.

Vance County Logo

County of Vance Releases Fire District Reorganization Info.; Public Hearing Set for Jan.

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-Information courtesy Jordan McMillen, County Manager, Vance County

To assist the public, the County of Vance has posted several documents related to the fire commission’s proposed reorganization of the County’s fire services on their website. The County will be seeking public comments at the Vance County Board of Commissioners meeting to be held on Monday, January 7, 2019.

The proposal includes the following changes:

– Converts the Goldenbelt fire district into a volunteer district with the Rescue Squad reincorporating as a volunteer fire department and rescue to take on the district.

– Moves existing county fire staff out of Goldenbelt district and splits them between Hicksboro and Bearpond Volunteer Departments; moves the county fire staff under the fire marshal/fire services department for oversight of paid personnel and creates an Assistant Fire Marshal position.

– Utilizes savings from the general fund county fire department operational expenses to offset costs in fire fund for 12 part-time positions, two at each station for Cokesbury, Drewry, Kittrell, Townsville, Watkins, and the newly constituted Goldenbelt volunteer fire departments during the day-time.

– Provides $200,000 in annual funding to the Rescue Squad as the new volunteer fire department that would also take ownership and associated debt of County’s newly ordered fire truck.

– Includes paying off the existing Kerr-Lake substation and county tanker debt from the general and/or fire fund balance.

– Provides equal funding of $100,000 to the border departments, Drewry and Epsom.

– Eliminates the substation funding of $10,000 for Hicksboro and eliminates the rotating capital funding of $30,000, with the fire fund being used to assist departments with 50/50 grants and capital needs.

– Moves dispatch from three alarm to four alarm.