WIZS Radio Henderson Local News 07-25-25 Noon
Listen On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
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VGCC To Host Applied Technology Programs Open Houses July 30, Aug. 5
— information courtesy of VGCC Public Information Officer Courtney Cissel
Vance-Granville Community College is hosting two Applied Technology Program Open Houses for new and prospective students. Stop by on Wednesday, July 30, between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. or Tuesday, August 5, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. to explore VGCC’s Applied Technology programs in person before the new semester begins in August.
Meet instructors and program directors and tour lab facilities to get a close-up look at the latest equipment during the open house opportunities. College staff will be on hand to share information about admission, program pathways and other support services the college offers, as well as information about financial aid and registration, according to information from VGCC Public Information Officer Courtney Cissel.
Whether you are a recent high school graduate, a working professional, or someone considering a career change, VGCC has a variety of programs designed to meet you where you are and help you build a successful future. Visit just one program if you already know what skills you want to pursue, or you can explore all five to see which one fits your career goals.
Visit the Main Campus in Henderson to learn about Automotive Systems Technology, Electrical Systems Technology and HVAC Technology. The South Campus in Creedmoor will host the Mechatronics & Electronics Engineering Technology tour and the Franklin Campus will host the Welding Technology tour.
Visit https://www.vgcc.edu/ to learn more.
Please note the tours listed below take place at various Vance-Granville campuses. Addresses and directions to all campuses may be found at www.vgcc.edu/about-us/campuses.
Main Campus, Henderson
Location: Building 4, Room 4104
Contact: Program Head James Gibbs
gibbsj@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3204
Location: Building 8, Room 8110-B
Contact: Instructor Alvin Durham
durhama@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3211
Air Conditioning, Heating, & Refrigeration Technology (HVAC)
Location: Building 5, Room 5103
Contact: Program Head Mark Tillotson
tillotsonm@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3214
South Campus, Creedmoor
Mechatronics & Electronics Engineering Technology
Location: Building 1, Room G1124
Contact: Department Chair David Bullock
bullockd@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3541
Franklin Campus, Louisburg
Location: Building 3, Room 3101-1
Contact: Program Head Luke Gravel
gravelc@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3338
Vance County Schools Host Open Houses Thursday, Aug. 7 As 2025-26 School Year Approaches
Parents of Vance County Schools students, if you’re beginning to have thoughts of back-to-school shopping and dates for Open Houses as summer vacation becomes measured in days instead of weeks, there’s a website for you.
School leaders have posted a whole list of dates at
https://www.vcs.k12.nc.us/news/~board/news/post/back-to-school-2025-2026 to provide information that’s just a click away.
Open Houses for all schools are scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 7 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., for example.
Students at E.M. Rollins STEAM Academy, Vance County High School and Vance County Early College begin their new school year on Monday, Aug. 11.
The first day of class for students on the traditional calendar is Monday, Aug. 25. Schools on the traditional calendar are Aycock, Carver, Clarke, Dabney, E.O. Young, L.B. Yancey, New Hope, Pinkston, Zeb Vance, Vance County Middle, STEM, Advance Academy and Vance Virtual Village.
Check out links to everything from drop-off times to vaccination requirements and school supply lists with a few clicks on the VCS website.
Parents and guardians may want to double-check to make sure students’ shots are up-to-date at Vaccination requirements.
Find the different academic calendars at https://www.vcs.k12.nc.us/calendar/2025-2026-academic-calendars
School Supply lists for elementary and secondary students are at https://www.vcs.k12.nc.us/parents-students/2023-2024-supply-list
More links to information are included below:
Volunteer Application: https://www.vcs.k12.nc.us/community/volunteer-with-vcs
Drop Off Times, School Schedule & Early Release Times: https://www.vcs.k12.nc.us/parents-students/daily-schedule
Progress Report & Report Card Dates: https://www.vcs.k12.nc.us/calendar/2025-2026-progress-report-calendar-dates
Updating Your Child’s Information: Need an Infinite Campus Parent Account? Infinite Campus Parent Portal Activation. This system is utilized to update information, contact information, see your child’s attendance, grades and more!
Accessing Your Child’s Attendance, Grades, Schedule & More: Logging in to your Campus Parent Portal Account: Infinite Campus Parent Portal.
Maria Parham Health Adds SmartRobotics Surgical System To Assist With Orthopedic Surgeries
— courtesy of Maria Parham Health Public Information Officer Donna Young
Maria Parham Health announces the addition to its complement of orthopedic care the Mako SmartRobotics™ surgical system, a cutting-edge innovation now available to qualified patients undergoing joint replacement procedures.
This advanced technology brings new levels of precision, personalization and potential recovery benefits to patients in north-central North Carolina and surrounding communities, according to information from Donna Young, MPH public information officer.
The Mako system combines 3D CT-based preoperative planning with robotic-arm assisted technology, which allows surgeons to create a highly personalized surgical plan and execute it with unmatched precision. During surgery, the Mako robotic arm helps the surgeon stay within the planned boundaries and make more accurate bone cuts, which may result in better outcomes and longer-lasting results for patients.
“This is a major step forward in the evolution of orthopedic care at Maria Parham,” said Bert Beard, CEO of Maria Parham Health. “The Mako robotic-arm system allows our skilled surgical team to perform joint replacements with an unprecedented level of accuracy. Patients will benefit from personalized care, faster recovery times, and potentially longer-lasting results. We are excited to bring this leading-edge technology to our community.”
The system can create a 3-D model of the patient’s joint to help the surgeon before the operation takes place, allowing for optimal implant fit and alignment. During surgery the robotic arm provides real-time feedback, aiding the surgeon in precise implant placement
Smaller incisions, less tissue damage and reduced blood loss often results in shorter hospital stays and quicker recovery times and precision placement of implants may reduce wear and the likelihood of repeat surgeries.
Learn more at a free Lunch & Learn session with orthopedic surgeon Dr. Darius Divina, DO, on Monday, Aug. 11 from 12 noon to 1:30 p.m..
Registration is required for the event and space is limited. Reserve your seat today at https://www.mariaparham.com/events/2025-08-11/lunch-learn
Jimmy & The Sound Barriers Perform Benefit Concert Aug. 3 At Clearview Church
Clearview Church is the place to be Sunday, Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. when JIMMY & THE SOUND BARRIERS AND FRIENDS are scheduled to perform in concert to benefit the Anchor of Hope ministry.
Come sit back and enjoy a wonderful night of country and bluegrass gospel music performed Gaither style by Jimmy Barrier and the Sound Barriers along with many talented guests such as the Hodnett Family.
This has become a popular annual event at Clearview Church, located at 3485 US 158 Business in Henderson.
Admission if free, but a love offering will be taken, organizers say.
The night is dedicated to church’s Anchor of Hope ministry, which serves those who are facing some of life’s most difficult challenges. Members pray for and minister to individuals who are facing a medical crisis, the loss of a loved one, or other tough times and present them with a blanket as a way to remind them there is hope, God is with them, and there are people praying for them.
If you would like to be involved or to donate to this ministry, send an email to info@clearviewbc.org.
Men’s Shelter Manager Guest Speaker At Aug. 12 Community Info Series At Baskerville Funeral Home
The next Community Information Series at Baskerville Funeral Home features Community Partners of Hope, a local organization that operates the emergency men’s shelter that provides a path from homelessness to housing.
Shelter Program Manager Darryl Jones will be the guest speaker at the event, which will take place Tuesday, Aug. 12 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the chapel of the funeral home, located at 104 S. Chestnut St., Henderson.
Jones will share insights about how the work of CPOH transforms lives, through community partnerships that offer hope help and essential resources to support men on their journey toward stability and self-sufficiency, according to information from Charlie Baskerville, Jr.
This is a wonderful opportunity to learn, connect, and explore ways to support and uplift our community together.
For more information, call 252.430.6824.
WIZS Radio Henderson Local News 07-24-25 Noon
Listen On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
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Cooperative Extension with Jamon Glover: Bedtime Problems Pt. 1
Jamon Glover, on the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report:
We learn on how to work with children who have problems at bedtime, such as not wanting to sleep in their bed, in addition to other obstacles at bedtime.
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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TownTalk: Around Old Granville – Harriet-Henderson Cotton Mill Strike of 1958
Many folks who were born and raised in Henderson or Vance County either remember the 1958 cotton mill strike or have grown up hearing stories about it. But even the youngest mill workers during that time are in their 80’s now, so there are fewer and fewer folks still alive to tell the story of how the strike affected the community then and now, more than 60 years later.
In Thursday’s Around Old Granville segment of TownTalk, WIZS’s Bill Harris and local historian Mark Pace add some context to the events that led up to the strike, which lasted until 1961.
In 1895, brothers David Y. and John D. Cooper founded the Henderson Cotton Mill in North Henderson.
They’d made their money in the tobacco business after the Civil War ended and later set their sights on establishing a mill.
Textiles, tobacco and furniture, Pace said, were all North Carolina industries that began with a “relatively cheap raw material that you could manipulate into something much more profitable.”
The profit margins were much higher in textiles than for, say, tobacco, but it came with more risk, Pace explained.
The price and quality of the raw material, workers’ wages and overseas competition were just some of the factors that the Cooper family had to consider with the mills, which numbered three by 1913. Harriet Mills opened in South Henderson in 1909 and then Harriet Plant No. 2 opened in 1913.
“It took off like gangbusters,” Pace said. Indeed, the textile industry was not only big in Henderson, but also in the southern United States, possibly “the most important industrial endeavor in the South, even up until the 1980’s and 1990’s,” Pace said.
It was 1943 when the union first came to the Harriet and Henderson plants, he said. By this time the mills were under the leadership of John D. Cooper, Jr., who ran it until 1962, Pace said. By the time World War II ended, the U.S. found itself in the unique position of being pretty much the only textile producers left – between the devastation across Europe and civil wars in India and Pakistan, the domestic textile industry was looking good.
Harris said a post-war economic boom led to a 1949 downturn, and as other countries rebuilt and retooled, it was more difficult for the local mills to keep their equipment current.
“They were very forward thinking,” Pace said, and wanted badly to modernize the mills after World War II, but faced years long backorders as a result of post-War reconstruction.
Throw in the rise of synthetic textiles like rayon and nylon – no cotton needed – and the textile industry began to falter.
Harriet and Henderson produced thread and yarn from the raw cotton, and employed as many as 1,000 people during its peak, when it was the largest yarn manufacturer.
“Within the confines of the industry,” Pace said, the Coopers were “very innovative and forward-thinking.”
To keep the mills running despite high absenteeism, management had dozens of employees at the ready each day to fill jobs when employees didn’t show up for work, Pace said. Even if they weren’t needed inside the mill, the stand-by workers would get two hours’ pay for showing up.
“A lot of plant managers would not have put up with that,” Pace said of the often high absentee rate. “But the Coopers wanted the work force to be happy.”
Women made up half the work force, and sometimes had to take off with little or no prior notice but management tolerated it because they felt an obligation to the workers, he added.
Pace said he considers the mill strike of 1958 as one of the top two or three most important events in the history of Vance County, “right up there with Civil Rights or the coming of the railroad and the creation of the tobacco industry.”
Listen back to the entire show at www.wizs.com.
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‘Unshame NC’ Campaign Takes Aim To Remove Stigma Related To Substance Abuse Disorder, Raise Awareness
— information courtesy of the N.C. Dept. of Health and Human Services
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and First Lady Anna Stein, in collaboration with Shatterproof, announced the launch of the Unshame North Carolina campaign to end stigma related to substance use disorder. Unshame NC has two primary goals: to increase knowledge and awareness of substance use disorder and medications for opioid use disorder as a treatment option.
“Stigma is deeply rooted and causes real harm to people and communities across North Carolina,” said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai. “Unshame NC is part of a collaborative effort from all of us to end stigma, build acceptance and increase support for treatment for people on their path to recovery.”
“Many people struggling with substance use don’t seek help because of stigma,” said North Carolina First Lady Anna Stein. “This campaign will highlight the stories of people who have experience with substance use disorder and recovery and bring greater awareness to effective methods of treatment for opioid use disorder.”
Unshame NC was launched Tuesday at the Wake County Drug Overdose Prevention Coalition meeting. The website, https://www.unshamenc.org/ includes testimonials from North Carolinians sharing their personal stories of substance use, hope and recovery. Facebook and Instagram content will help drive users to the website, which provides links to resources, including information on how to find the right treatment center, and guidance for providers and for family members seeking care for a loved one. NCDHHS contracted with national non-profit Shatterproof to develop and implement the Unshame NC campaign.
Recent data from a statewide survey indicates 57 percent of North Carolinians know someone with opioid use disorder. Despite this widespread issue, only 34 percent of North Carolina residents know how to find quality treatment for themselves or their loved ones. Additionally, only one in five adults in North Carolina recognizes that opioid use disorder is a medical condition. These findings highlight the urgent need for comprehensive education that connects people to lifesaving resources and treatment.
“There’s no better evidence that recovery is real than a life changed,” said Kelly Crosbie, MSW LCSW, NCDHHS Director of the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services. “We’re pairing the stories of people in recovery with a statewide effort to increase access to MOUD, so more people can benefit from evidence-based care. Real access means supporting people on the recovery journey that makes sense for them, without judgment—and offering them every opportunity for lifesaving treatment, that includes MOUD.”
Unshame NC focuses on the voices and experiences of North Carolinians affected by substance use disorder. Through storytelling, education, and grassroots activation, the campaign demonstrates that people with substance use disorder are valued members of our communities—our family, neighbors, and coworkers—and highlights actionable ways we can ensure everyone has the support they need to thrive.
“While most North Carolinians believe that people with SUD can recover with treatment, stigma and misinformation can create barriers to care,” said Courtney McKeon, senior vice president for Shatterproof’s National Stigma Initiative and longtime resident of the Research Triangle area. “We see this often regarding medications for opioid use disorder, a gold standard of care. Through the stories of North Carolinians, we have the opportunity to increase understanding of all treatment options and support individuals on their path to improved health and wellness.”
“It’s not just about overdoses. It’s not just about lives that were lost or lives that were saved,” says Michael, one of Unshame NC’s story sharers. “It’s also about how we treat the people who went through it and how we bring them out of the shadows. How do we welcome them back into society? How do we get them back to where we need to be? And that requires a lot of folks like me to speak out and help break the stigma.”
People with substance use disorder flourish in environments that offer both community support and multiple pathways for treatment. If you want to share your story with NCDHHS and Unshame NC, you can get involved by filling out a Story Sharer Interest Form or joining the Unshame NC coalition.
Follow @UnshameNC on Facebook and Instagram or visit www.UnshameNC.org to learn more.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, NCDHHS provides somewhere to go, someone to talk to and someone to respond. You can find the help that is right for you 24/7 on the NCDHHS Crisis Services website.
The 988 Lifeline Chat and Text – 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is free, confidential, and available to everyone 24/7 by call, text or chat.
North Carolinians can call the 24/7 Peer Warmline at 1-855-PEERS NC (855-733-7762) to speak with a peer support specialist. Peer support specialists are individuals living in recovery with mental illness and/or substance use disorder who provide support to others.
The NC Recovery Helpline (800-688-4232) offers support and referrals for treatment and resources.
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