WIZS Radio Local News Audio 10-10-23 Noon
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MPH Shines A Pink Light On Breast Cancer Awareness
Information courtesy of Donna Young, MPH Market Coordinator, Communications and Marketing
Pink lights will illuminate the Maria Parham Health campus in Henderson through the month of October as the hospital observes Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The front entrance will be bathed in a pink glow, serving as a reminder for women to get screened for breast cancer, which the American Cancer Society said claims 40,000 lives each year.
Breast cancer is most treatable and curable when detected at its earliest stages. clinical breast examinations and mammography are key to early detection. Women should ideally have a clinical breast exam every three years starting at age 20, and every year starting at age 40. Women should also have yearly mammograms starting at age 40.
“The impact of cancer on an individual, their family and loved ones is profound and can be devastating,” said Bert Beard, Maria Parham’s CEO. “With the advancements in surveillance and detection of breast cancer, it is really a matter of creating awareness and educating our communities of the importance of screenings and mammograms. Going pink is just one more way we remind everyone to be aware, take action, and get screened.”
Maria Parham Health will also observe “Pink-Out Day” on Oct. 20, when team members at all MPH facilities will don pink attire in support of Breast Cancer Awareness.
If you would like to schedule a mammogram or talk with a provider about your breast health, call 800-424-DOCS. For more information on breast cancer and mammograms, visit https://www.breastcancer.org/ and https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/.
The Local Skinny! VGCC Craft Show Fundraiser Is This Saturday
Information courtesy of VGCC Public Information Officer Courtney Cissel
The Vance-Granville Community College Foundation is sponsoring a fall craft show fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 14 to help fill the shelves of the school’s food pantry. The community is invited to come out from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The admission “price” per person is a donation of three food items that can be used in the food pantry – think canned goods, non-perishable items or paper products, organizers say.
VGCC Foundation Associate Director Sheri Jones said more than 45 vendors – many from the four-county area that VGCC serves – will be set up and ready for business Saturday.
“This is a way to stock our food pantry, as we have seen an increase in usage over the last few months,” Jones said.
All proceeds from the event will go toward stocking the shelves of the food pantry, which serves currently enrolled students, as well as faculty and staff.
Call 252.738.3323 or email douglasa@vgcc.edu to learn more.
VGCC students and employees in need of food pantry services may learn more at www.vgcc.edu/food-pantry.
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WIZS Radio Local News Audio 10-09-23 Noon
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UNC Football Outplayed Syracuse to Remain Undefeated
— text and picture by Patrick Magoon freelance writer for WIZS
An impressive display of consistent explosive runs on offense and strong tackles on defense from the North Carolina Tar Heels (UNC) paved the way for an impressive 40-7 win over Syracuse.
On offense, UNC quarterback Drake Maye completed 33 passes for 442 yards. He connected with 11 receivers, including Devontez Walker, who caught six passes for 43 yards in his debut for UNC. After weeks of backlash, the NCAA reversed course and granted Walker, the two-time transfer, immediate eligibility a few days before the game. As Walker led his team onto the field before kickoff, cheers erupted throughout the stadium.
“I just felt blessed to be out there, said Walker. My teammates have been in my corner since I arrived.”
UNC’s potent offense started strong, executing 14 plays for 64 yards. Through a dynamic ground game, UNC quickly reached the red zone. However, the drive stalled out 11 yards outside of the end zone. Then kicker Noah Burnette made a 29-yard field goal to give UNC an early lead.
Throughout the remainder of the first half, Maye had plenty of options on offense. He distributed the ball to numerous playmakers to score three consecutive touchdowns.
“North Carolina is a fantastic football team, and I tip my hat to Mack Brown, said Syracuse head coach Dino Babers. Today, they were fantastic on offense, fantastic on defense, and I think they’re going to go a long way this season.”
In contrast, Syracuse’s run-heavy offensive unit struggled to build momentum against UNC’s aggressive defense. Therefore, the unit had to punt the ball away on all four of its first-half possessions.
Although Syracuse demonstrated offensive efficiency at the start of the second half by scoring on its first possession, the momentum quickly dissipated with no room to run.
UNC’s defense, led by linebacker Cedric Gray, defensive back Don Chapman, and defensive lineman Myles Murphy, intercepted two passes and amassed 51 total tackles, one sack, and three TFLs.
Vance Sheriff Accepts $691,536 From N.C. Rep. Sossamon For Body-Worn Cameras
Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame wants his employees to be safe when they are performing their duties, and he’s crunched the numbers, so he knows the price tag for state-of-the-art equipment.
When he learned that local legislators could make a request for body-worn cameras and supporting equipment from something called non-recurring funds, he got in touch with N.C. Rep. Frank Sossamon, (R. Dist. 32) who represents Vance County and most of Granville County.
“I gave him the numbers and the platform (information and) it was granted, thank God,” Brame told WIZS News in advance of a meeting Thursday, where Sossamon presented a check to Brame and county officials for $691,536.
“This will be a big help for us,” Brame said. The funds will be used to outfit sheriff’s staff and detention staff with body-worn cameras and the supporting equipment needed to upload and store video footage. In addition to providing an extra layer of protection for the officer, Brame said the cameras will be useful if a situation were to arise and false claims are lodged against his officers.
In an interview earlier this week, Sossamon said he’s “elated” for Brame, his staff, and the residents of Vance County.
“We have some appropriation chairs that are very, very pro law enforcement,” Sossamon said in an interview this week. “Any time they can support law enforcement, they’re going to do it.”
The equipment, Sossamon predicted, will be a selling point for recruiting, not to mention “a morale booster for the sheriff and for his officers.”
Check Receipts For Accuracy – Scanning Errors Do Occur!
Two area retailers have paid penalties totaling more than $4,700 in civil penalties for error rates in advertised prices and the prices that ring up at the register, according to information from the N.C. Department of Agriculture’s Standards Division.
The Walgreens located at 201 Trade St., Henderson paid $495 in September following a string of inspections over several months, during which the error rate fell from 14 percent to a passing level in August. The 14 percent error rate in February was based on 7 overcharges in a 50-item lot; subsequent follow-up inspections found error rates of 3.67 percent in March, based on 11 overcharges in a 300-item lot and a 6.67 percent error rate in May, based on 20 overcharges in a 300-item lot. The store passed inspection in August and paid its penalty in September, according to the NCDA report.
The Warrenton Dollar General, 211 E. Macon St., paid $4,245 following an initial inspection in July found an error rate of 40 percent and a follow-up inspection in August showed an 18.33 percent error rate.
The store will be reinspected.
The July inspection showed 20 overcharges in a 50-item lot; the August inspection found an error rate of 18.33% based on 55 overcharges in a 300-item lot. The store will be reinspected.
“Our Standards Division does excellent work inspecting stores across the state for scanner errors that hurt consumers’ pockets,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “North Carolinians should only have to pay the price they see on the shelf and this work is vital to make sure that happens. Our Standards Division will continue to inspect stores, but consumers should also check their receipts often and notify store managers if they see an issue.”
The department conducts periodic, unannounced inspections of price-scanner systems in businesses to check for accuracy between the prices advertised and the prices that ring up at the register. If a store has more than a 2 percent error rate on overcharges, inspectors discuss the findings with the store manager and conduct a more intensive follow-up inspection later. Undercharges are also reported, but do not count against a store. Consumers who would like to file a complaint about scanner errors they encounter, can call the Standards Division at 984.236.4750.
Penalties are assessed if a store fails a follow-up inspection. In addition to the penalties paid, the store will be subject to reinspection every 60 days from the last inspection until the error rate is at 2 percent or lower. Additional penalties may be assessed if a store fails reinspection.
Triangle North Businesss Park Future Home Of VGCC Training Facility
It’s been a few years in the making, but a contingent of local officials joined Vance-Granville Community College President Dr. Rachel Desmarais and others Wednesday afternoon to celebrate a facility – yet to be built – that will support future training needs for existing and prospective industry.
VGCC is getting $11.5 million in the newly passed state budget, and N.C. Rep Frank Sossamon (R-Dist. 32) provided key support in getting the funding for his district, which in cludes Vance and most of Granville counties. Sossamon was among those present Wednesday at the Triangle North Industrial Park, located in Granville County off U.S. 158 near I-85.
According to information from VGCC Public Information Officer Courtney Cissel, 15 acres on the campus of the business park have been set aside for construction of the facility, the result of a collaboration among Granville County Economic Development, Kerr-Tar Council of Governments and the Triangle North board.
In her remarks at the event, Desmarais said the Triangle North Business Park represents a true collaboration among a cross-section of agencies, and it’s something that attracted her to the area. “I saw collaboration that I hadn’t seen before,” she said. “Today’s announcement is very important, for the people of Granville County and Vance County and the entire service area” the college supports.
No dates have been released for when work will begin, but this could well be the first to locate in the park. That fits in with Desmarais’s vision for VGCC to be a catalyst to build strong communities.
“Workforce development plus economic development equals regional prosperity,” Desmarais said.
The facility will support industry training needs in the areas of industrial maintenance, mechatronics, electronics, welding, and fabrication; serve as an advanced manufacturing company recruitment benefit; and support collaborative high school and college career and technical education partnerships. An investment of this magnitude will send a powerful message to current and future manufacturing stakeholders that our region values the manufacturing sector, supports growth and innovation, and increases employee value.
Abdul Rasheed, vice-chair of the VGCC Board of Trustees, talked about the impact the facility will have on the community.
“Doing this kind of investment begins to shape the kind of jobs, the kind of salaries, the kind of quality of life that we want for ourselves,” Rasheed said. “And that is very, very exciting to me.”
Granville County Board of Commissioners Chairman Russ May echoed sentiments from other speakers. This state funding makes possible the “beginning of some really great things for this community,” May said. “This is a start for much bigger and greater things for Granville and for Vance counties,” he said.
Additional construction funding will come from Granville County and from VGCC’s Board of Trustees.
The Local Skinny! Pop The Hood: Winterize Your Vehicle
For our sponsor, Advance Auto Parts, as part of a paid radio sponsorship on WIZS.
When the weather cools off, we think about taking steps to winterize our homes and our wardrobes, but what about our vehicles? There are a few key steps car and truck owners can take now to keep those vehicles in top running order through the cold winter months.
Is your car harder to start in the winter? It could be a faulty thermostat, weak battery or starter issue, said John Stevenson, WIZS’s resident expert.
“The number one thing is to make sure you have the right content of antifreeze,” Stevenson said, “not the level, but the mixture,” he added. A 50-50 ratio is recommended for most vehicles, but let the professionals at Advance Auto Parts help you select the right product for your vehicle’s needs.
Take a moment to get your battery tested, too. Advance can test your battery at no charge.
In anticipation of icy road conditions, taking a moment to inspect your brakes and tires is another way to make sure you stay safe.
And taking a peek under the hood to do a visual inspection on those cables, belts and spark plugs is not a bad idea, either.
One other item that drivers may overlook is washer fluid. There are different formulas, Stevenson said. “There’s all kinds of stuff that you would never think about,” he said. “That’s a good reason to check things out with the folks at Advance.”
The information contained in this post is not advice from Advance Auto Parts or WIZS. Safety First! Always seek proper help. This is presented for its informational value only and is part of a paid advertising sponsorship.
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WIZS Radio Local News Audio 10-05-23 Noon Special Report
Click Play to Listen. On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM