Remembering Thurston “TJ” Julius
Please click to play audio as WIZS remembers Thurston “TJ” Julius for his impact on his community, for his professionalism and for his wit.
WIZS Radio Local News Audio 11-8-21 Noon
Click Play to Listen. On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
15-Year-Old Surrenders To Sheriff’s Office In Oct. 19 Shooting Death of 14-Year-Old
A 15-year-old turned himself in Wednesday to the Vance Sheriff’s Office following the fatal shooting of a teenager last month.
Sheriff Curtis Brame told WIZS News via email today (Friday) that the juvenile who surrendered himself to authorities has been charged with first-degree murder. The shooting happened on Oct. 19 on Foxfire Drive.
The victim, 14-year-old Rosendo Montiel, died at Duke University Hospital from a gunshot wound on Oct. 21.
The suspect surrendered shortly before 10 p.m. on Nov. 3, Brame said.
An earlier press release from the sheriff indicated that the shooting had occurred on Tuesday, Oct. 19 shortly before 12:30 p.m. The Vance County Sheriff’s Office responded to 318 Foxfire Drive in reference to a gunshot victim, the press release stated.
At the scene, it was discovered that a 14-year-old had suffered a gunshot wound “causing life threatening injuries and was transported to Duke University Hospital.”
Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigators were able to identify a suspect and obtain a secure custody order for the 15-year-old suspect. The original charge of attempted first-degree murder was changed to first-degree murder on Oct. 21.
Brame said the investigation is ongoing.
Latest CV19 figures from Granville Vance Public Health
In the seven day period ending Friday, there were 64 new cases in Vance County. The percent positivity rate in Vance County is 5.2%.
In the seven day period ending Friday, there were 62 new cases in Granville County. The percent positivity rate in Granville County is 3.5%.
Granville County has a total of 102 deaths as a result of CV19 and Vance County has a total of 102 deaths.
In Vance County, 66% of those over the age of 12 have received at least one dose of their CV19 vaccine and 61% are fully vaccinated.
In Granville County, 71% of those over the age of 12 have received at least one dose of their CV19 vaccine and 67% are fully vaccinated.
71% of the adult population in NC is at least partially vaccinated and 67% of the adult population is fully vaccinated.
WIZS Radio Local News Audio 11-5-21 Noon
Click Play to Listen. On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
The Local Skinny! Boys & Girls Club Giving Youth A Brighter Future
The Boys & Girls Club of North Central North Carolina has its main club site for Vance County at 212 N. Clark St. in Henderson, but with some financial support from a 21st Century Grant, two satellite clubs are up and running at two elementary schools in the county.
Ronald Bennett serves on the group’s corporate board. He said Wednesday’s Be Great Breakfast fundraiser was a big success, thanks to caring people in the community. “It was a good turnout for a great cause,” he said.
The new program sites are at Carver Elementary and New Hope Elementary. “We are excited that we were able to open the two rural sites,” Bennett told Trey Snide on Thursday’s The Local Skinny! segment. He said folks in the communities around the schools are happy that there is club programming available to students who live out in the county.
The breakfast netted about $15,000.
“It just shows that there are committed people right here in the community that pitch in and make a difference,” Bennett said. Donors got to show their support via their pocketbook and they got a good breakfast, to boot. The breakfast was held at Henderson Country Club.
CEO Donyell “DJ” Jones was the keynote speaker for the morning’s event. Jones came on board about a week before the pandemic shut everything down, and although things had to look a little different, the clubs across the five counties served by BGCNCNC found ways to provide services.
Vance’s Youth of the Year Keyon Tunstall also shared his story at the breakfast. He started coming to the club at age 5, Bennett said, and now has a leadership role there. As Youth of the Year, he received a $1,000 scholarship that he can use at the school of his choosing.
Bennett said he got to know Tunstall last year when they were both working at the club to distribute hot meals. “He is a great young man with a very bright future,” Bennett said.
TownTalk: KerrTar COG Loan Program Helps Small Business
The Kerr-Tar Region Council of Government’s “Open for Business” loan program continues to disperse money to small- and medium-sized businesses in its five-county area and Director Diane Cox said there’s still time to apply.
The Kerr-Tar COG received $1.1 million as part of the federal government’s effort to help businesses weather the COVID-19 storm. To date, a dozen small businesses across Vance, Granville, Franklin, Warren and Person counties have benefited from the program, Cox told John C. Rose on Thursday’s Town Talk. She said about $605,000 has been distributed, and if the rest isn’t used before the end of June 2022, it reverts back to the federal coffers.
She’d rather have the money be used locally to assist businesses as the economy continues to open up as pandemic restrictions loosen.
Anyone who owns a business with fewer than 100 employees is eligible to apply for the loan, which originally was designed to help companies that had seen a decline in revenue as a result of the pandemic. In addition, the loan criteria were made more flexible to make for easier access by small businesses. The local COG board decided to make the loans zero-interest loans, she said, which makes them even more appealing. There is flexibility in payback periods, she said, as well as other criteria that are required for regular loan programs such as providing proof that the business wouldn’t qualify for a conventional bank loan.
“We rolled the program out in the fall and had lots of requests,” Cox said, but then they hit a lull. Now the program is kicked off again and she said she hopes more applications come in.
She said, so far, approved applicants include restaurants, a transportation-related business, a small fitness center and an office supply organization.
“Most have been small businesses,” Cox said, from sole proprietors to companies with as many as 35 employees. “We’ve not seen the requests coming in from the 75-99 employee range,” she said, adding that the agency has been able to serve the businesses they were hoping would request the loans – and have helped keep the doors open and the economy moving along.
“We know that the reason our economy is thriving is because of our small businesses,” Cox noted. Small business is what keeps downtowns healthy and the Kerr-Tar COG wants to continue to focus on programs like the Open for Business loan program to help small businesses.
A committee made up of banking professionals and others involved in business and economic development meets to review and recommend application for approval by the executive committee, which has final approval for all loans.
Apply online at kerrtarcog.org and attach additional required documents to submit online. Cox said applicants can request to receive a copy of the application via email or by U.S. Postal Service. Call the office at 252.436.2040 to learn more. Cox or finance assistant Katie Conner can help answer questions.
WIZS Radio Local News Audio 11-4-21 Noon
Click Play to Listen. On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
Diabetes: A Simple Blood Test Is First Step To Management, Treatment
When it comes to vital statistics, most of us know our height and weight. Knowing our blood sugar level is one that most of us wouldn’t be able to recite, but health professionals suggest that this number is an important one – too little sugar in our blood can lead to cognitive difficulties and too much can be a sign of an underlying condition like diabetes.
November is American Diabetes Month (designated because insulin was discovered in November 1922).
Cheryl Hester, a board-certified family nurse practitioner at Maria Parham Health, said that having a simple test to check blood sugar levels is an easy way to find out whether you may be at risk for developing diabetes.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 34 million Americans have diabetes, and 1 in 5 of those with the condition are not even aware they have it.
Additionally, more than 88 million American adults have what is known as prediabetes – a condition where blood sugar levels are abnormally high, but not quite high enough to qualify as Type 2 diabetes.
Persons with prediabetes can adjust their diet and lifestyle in the hope of staving off Type 2 diabetes.
There are three types of diabetes – Type 1 is usually diagnosed at an early age, Type 2 is often referred to as adult-onset and gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy.
Type 1 diabetes is classified as an autoimmune disorder because the body does not produce insulin; rather, the body destroys the cells that produce insulin.
Having Type 2 diabetes means that your body doesn’t use insulin properly. Some Type 2 diabetics can manage their blood sugar levels through healthy eating and exercise and others may need medication or insulin to regulate levels.
And a pregnant woman may develop gestational diabetes, which also can be managed to ensure a safe delivery for mother and baby.
Type 1 diabetes usually develops suddenly and intensely; Type 2 is slower to develop, sometimes without symptoms.
The most common symptoms include increased hunger or thirst, frequent urination, unexpected weight loss, fatigue, numb or tingling hands or feet and slow-healing sores.
Having a blood sugar test is the first step in knowing what your levels are and starting a treatment plan, because, left untreated and unmanaged, diabetes can have devastating effects on your health down the road. Hearing or vision loss, heart attack, stroke and more are several of the complications that unchecked diabetes can lead to.
If you would like to schedule a blood sugar test or talk with a provider about your health, call 800.424.DOCS. For more information about diabetes, visit diabetes.org and cdc.gov/diabetes.
Two arrested on drug charges in Vance subdivision; methamphetamine, heroin seized
Two men were arrested Monday on drug charges following the investigation of a suspicious vehicle in a Vance County subdivision, according to Sheriff Curtis Brame.
The sheriff’s office received a call in reference to a suspicious vehicle in Huntstone, located off Hwy. 158 Business near the Granville County line.
According to a press statement from the sheriff’s office, the investigation and subsequent search of the car turned up 28 grams of methamphetamine and 21 units of heroin. Arrested were David Martin, 42, and John Edward Macmillan, 29.
Martin was charged with felony possession of Schedule I heroin and
possession of a controlled substance with the intent to manufacture, sell or deliver Schedule I (heroin). Martin’s bond was set at $25,000. He has a court date of Dec. 7, 2021.
Macmillan also was charged with felony possession of a Schedule I substance (heroin) and possession of a controlled substance with the
intent to manufacture, sell or deliver Schedule I (heroin). Macmillan’s bond was set at $30,000 bond. He also has a court date for Dec. 7.