Registration Open For Upcoming Master Gardener Training That Begins Feb. 9

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Maybe you’ve always wanted to know the difference between a gardenia and a hydrangea. Or maybe you want to add to that green-thumb skill set that you’ve had for years. In either case, the Master Gardener program may be just the thing for gardeners, new and experienced.

The next class of Master Gardeners will commence on Feb. 9, 2023, according to information from Paul McKenzie, horticulture agent for the N.C. Cooperative Extension in Vance and Warren counties.

Applications for the 15-week training program are being accepted now, McKenzie said. The fee is $125.

The Master Gardener program is a combination of education, community service and outreach. Upon completion, participants will engage in a variety of garden-related activities and project alongside an existing group of dedicated volunteers.

The class will meet on Thursday mornings, and will cover all aspects of gardening including fruits, vegetables, weeds, insects, diseases, trees, shrubs, turf and more.

The class location will alternate between Henderson and Warrenton.

Participants with specialized skills – from public speaking to photography – can help the group as it participates in volunteer projects throughout the community.  Recent volunteer projects demonstration gardens, newsletters, gardening workshops and seminars, youth education and more.

For more information, please visit http://go.ncsu.edu/mgvw. Call the Vance County extension office at 252.438.8188 or the Warren County office at 252.257.3640.

KARTS In Line For Grant Money To Help Expand, Improve Services

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The Kerr Area Regional Transit system is scheduled to get part of more than $10 million in federal grant money that is being awarded across the state to help expand on-demand services for those who need help with transportation.

State transportation officials say the federal grant award –  $10.4 million in total – will be used in up to 11 communities across the state and has the potential to benefit thousands of individuals.

“More than one million people in North Carolina live in a household without a car or have other barriers limiting their access to reliable transportation,” said Ryan Brumfield, director of the Division of Integrated Mobility, a unit in the N.C. Department of Transportation. “By expanding on-demand transit services, we take an important step to remove barriers for these individuals. Having a more robust network of multimodal services will connect people to the jobs, educational opportunities, appointments and shopping they need for their daily lives.”

KARTS operates in Vance, Granville, Warren and Franklin counties. Call to make a trip requests Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

KARTS vehicles also transport passengers to major medical facilities nearby, including Wake Forest, Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill during the week. Service requests for the following day are taken until 1 p.m. or as capacity allows.

Passengers can arrange to use the rural, public transportation service to go shopping, to get to work, keep medical appointments and more. Visit http://www.kartsnc.com/ to learn more or phone 252.438.2573.

The award comes to the N.C. Department of Transportation’s Integrated Mobility Division from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Rural Surface Transportation Grant, which is part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

In addition to KARTs, Tar River Transit and Wave Transit in Wilmington also will get a cut of the money. Money will be distributed to similar type services in Alamance, McDowell, Johnston, Randolph and Rockingham counties, as well as in the towns of Sanford, Salisbury and Wilson.

The funding will pay for advanced transit scheduling software deployment and, in some communities, third-party contracts for vehicles and drivers to support the new on-demand services.

The Integrated Mobility Division applied for the funds to expand on-demand transit, in part, because of the success of prior on-demand transit deployments in North Carolina, including the Wilson RIDE service. That service has garnered national attention for its success and positive impacts.

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Learn About Resources Offered By Infinite Possibilities, Inc. At Jan. 10 Info Session

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The public is invited to a community information session on Tuesday, Jan. 10 at Baskerville Funeral Home chapel to learn more about resources that are available through Infinite Possibilities, Inc.

Baskerville Funeral Home is located at 104 S. Chestnut St., Henderson. The hourlong information session begins at 6 p.m.

Infinite Possibilities, Inc. is a nonprofit agency that serves Vance and Warren counties in numerous ways, including providing advocacy for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

Other services include a 24/7 hotline, court advocacy, community and youth education, emergency shelter placement and medical advocacy.

Infinite Possibilities has offices in Henderson and Warrenton. Call the Henderson office at 252.431.1926. The Warren County office number is 252. 257.1044.

City of Henderson Logo

TownTalk: Signs of Positive Growth

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King’s Daughters Park is not the largest park in the area, and it doesn’t have all the amenities as other recreation areas, but what it does have is what is known in the real estate world as a critical asset: Location, location, location.

City officials are looking at ways to increase the park’s boundaries as plans continue to progress for the West End Urban Redevelopment Area (URA).

The Henderson City Council approved a recommendation from city staff to acquire three vacant properties near the park that, if successful, would add to the overall footprint of the park, located on Montgomery Street. Having access to green space promotes public health while preserving the characteristics of the park.

“We’ve got some negotiating to do,” City Manager Terrell Blackmon told WIZS News Tuesday. But the council gave staff permission to move forward to try to buy the vacant properties and refurbish the park as part of the overall redevelopment plan, Blackmon explained.

One of the three property owners has been contacted, but Blackmon said the city is still in the process of contacting the other two.

As plans for the West End URA continue to take shape, the idea is to bring a mixture of rental homes and private residences to the area, while developing business and recreation opportunities within walking distance of where people live.

The URA and other opportunities for redevelopment are part of the city’s overall strategic plan, as well as employee retention.

Blackmon said succession planning plays a role in recruiting and retaining city employees, and it’s one of the points contained in the strategic plan.

The city also approved a new entry-level planning technician position in the development services division, made necessary when the current zoning administrator was promoted to the vacant position of community development manager.

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U.S. Department of Justice

Law Enforcement Officers Training Teaches How To De-Escalate, Defuse Situations For Safety

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The ongoing training that law enforcement officers participate in helps them evaluate situations and when they should use strategies that will reduce the need for force and to keep a situation from getting out of hand. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the N.C. Justice Academy have provided day-long de-escalation, use of force and community engagement training to more than 200 federal, state and local law enforcement officers in the Eastern District of North Carolina between May and October.

U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Michael Easley said the training is part of his office’s Civil Rights Initiative. The training “gives law enforcement the tools, tactics and best practices to defuse and de-escalate situations by mitigating the need for or use of force,” Easley said in press statement.

These de-escalation techniques can help to reduce injuries and preserve the safety of law enforcement officers and the public, Easley said.

“In addition to providing training for dealing with ‘in the moment’ situations, the agenda also focused on the benefits of ongoing community engagement by law enforcement to build long-term, sustainable community trust. Taking the time to listen, learn and gain perspective creates a basis for developing collaborative solutions that make our communities safer,” he said.

 Training sessions were offered in Raleigh, Greenville, Castle Hayne, Ahoskie and Fayetteville and  included sessions on addressing use of force incidents, a review of civil rights laws and hate crimes, and best practices in community policing. The community engagement section was led by N.C. Department of Public Safety Secretary Eddie Buffaloe.

The training is part of the U.S. Attorney’s Civil Rights Initiative which includes community outreach and engagement designed to increase awareness of existing civil rights protections and how to spot and avoid civil rights violations.

Granville Vance Public Health Logo

COVID-19, Flu, RSV: “Triple-Demic” Can Alter Family Gatherings

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Vance and Granville counties continue to be in the low transmission category for COVID-19, but trends are ticking upward in the weeks following Thanksgiving and heading into Christmas.

Some families are having to cancel plans to gather because someone in the group has tested positive for COVID-19, and others are choosing to postpone their celebrations until the New Year.

According to advice from Granville Vance Public Health Director Lisa Harrison, they’re doing the right thing. “Assess your risk and risk to others when you gather in large groups and stay home any time you have symptoms of illness,” Harrison noted in her most recent health update to the community.  the “triple-demic” combination of COVID-19, flu and RSV can wreak havoc and she reminds everyone to be completely vaccinated and boosted to ward off sickness.

“Although COVID-19 community levels in both Granville and Vance counties is finally at a ‘low’ mark, we are still hearing of a multitude of illnesses circulating like flu, RSV and strep, as well as COVID-19,” Harrison said, “so be sure to stay on alert with fighting off germs, wash those hands regularly, and stay well hydrated.”

The CDC estimates that at least 13 million Americans have already been infected with the flu this season, and more than 100,000 have been hospitalized across the U.S. — this is a larger number than last winter, when many Americans were still following COVID-related precautions. But flu shot uptake this year has been low. Only about a quarter of American adults have been vaccinated, according to the CDC. “Those who haven’t gotten their shot yet should seek one soon, said Dr. Preeti Malani, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Michigan. The sense is that this year’s vaccine is actually a pretty good match to the strain circulating. And much like COVID vaccines, flu shots don’t prevent all infections, but they can help prevent hospitalizations, deaths, as well as transmission,” according to Dr. Malani.

(https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/12/14/1142651228/stay-safe-holidays-covid-flu-rsv-tripledemic).

The health department offers COVID-19 shots and boosters as well as flu shots Monday-Friday at each location of Granville Vance Public Health. The bivalent COVID-19 booster shots by Pfizer and Moderna are available and help protect against the newest variants of COVID-19.

Following recent FDA authorization this month, the CDC has recommended the use of updated (bivalent) COVID-19 vaccines to children aged 6 months through 5 years. Please note that, unlike for older age groups, these products are not eligible for mix-and-match use.

  1. Moderna:Children ages 6 months through 5 years who previously completed a Moderna primary series can now receive a Moderna bivalent booster 2 months after their final primary series dose.
  2. Pfizer:Children ages 6 months through 4 years who are completing a Pfizer primary series will receive a Pfizer bivalent vaccine as their third primary dose. Effective immediately, the third dose of Pfizer (monovalent) is no longer authorized for this age group.

The numbers:

  • In Vance County, 64 percent of individuals have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, 58 percent have completed the initial series and 14 percent have received the updated booster.
  • In Granville County, 68 percent of individuals have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, 64 percent have completed the initial series and 16 percent have received their updated booster.

Stay updated by checking the CDC Data Tracker by County and the NCDHHS COVID-19 Dashboard. Relevant graphs from these dashboards are available on our website at https://gvph.org/covid-19_dashboard/. 

WIZS Radio Local News Audio 12-22-22 Noon

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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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