TownTalk: ‘Hungry Heroes’ Event Coming To Henderson Nov. 5

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When it comes to barbecue and the obligatory banana pudding that accompanies it, Amanda Riggan knows not to underestimate folks in Vance County and the surrounding area. And when that barbecue and puddin’ is prepared to raise money to support a worthy cause, Riggan knows she can count on locals to be supportive.

Riggan is the founder of Hungry Heroes, and she and her team of volunteers will be at the Vance County Rescue Squad on Saturday, Nov. 5 with their grills fired up and serving spoons dishing up sides – including her mom’s cold banana puddin’ – to feed all first responders, military personnel and veterans.

She told John C. Rose Monday that she and her team have fed a couple of thousand people at a single event, and she is planning to serve between 500 and 800 next month between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the rescue squad facility on Maynard Road.

“Hopefully we sell out,” Riggan said. “I just can’t wait to see everyone…I’m so excited for the community and for (my) family members to be involved and to serve.” Riggan’s parents are both from Henderson.

Veterans, military personnel and first responders eat for free, she said, but the public is invited to come and join in the fun. “For a $10 donation, plates are available to the public,” she said.

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There will be other activities for families to enjoy, including a bouncy house for the kids and plenty of items that will be raffled.

Riggan said planning is underway and she’s looking forward to being back in Henderson, but what she’s really excited about is paying tribute to the area’s first responders and to honor them for the work they do.

“It’s really cool to see the heroes behind the badge, it’s humbling to know they sacrifice their safety for us every day.”

Hungry Heroes got its start in 2018 when Riggan was trying to figure out a way to help her community deal with a tragic incident that left one law enforcement officer dead and three others wounded.

She said she got her answer after prayerfully considering her response: “Feed them,” she said.

So she did.

With a healthy boost by social media outlets, she and her pulled pork barbecue plates began showing up at events in Texas, Utah and Florida, among other places across the nation.

“Some events aren’t fun and aren’t planned,” Riggan said. One example: She and her father hopped a plane last year to feed first responders on the scene at the condominium collapse in Surfside, FL.

Riggan most recently was in Henderson to stock the refrigerators at local law enforcement agency break rooms and she has begun a “Campus Heroes” program that brings weekly hot lunches to school resource officers who don’t leave their posts while students are in school.

“We stop by and give them a hot meal as a thank you,” she said.

Visit https://www.hungryheroesbbq.com/ to learn more.

Oct. 14 Homecoming Challenge To Raise Money For VCPS Foundation

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Whether your mascot was a Bulldog, a Viking or a Raider, if you graduated from a high school in Vance County, you’ll all be supporting the Vipers during the Alumni Homecoming Challenge.

But rest assured, there will be opportunities for a little rivalry among alumni during the annual Homecoming game, which kicks off Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. in Viper Stadium, 925 Garrett Rd.

The Vipers take on Granville Central High School, and Vance County Schools’ Director of Communication & Marketing Aarika Sandlin said there will be a special way for alumni to support the school district.

Graduates of Henderson High School, Vance Senior High, Northern Vance, Southern Vance, Vance County Early College, Advance Academy, Henderson Institute, Vance Virtual Village Academy or Vance County High can drop their loose change – or better yet, folding money – into their alma mater’s jar.

A locker plate will be installed at the Center for Innovation to recognize the alumni of each school for each $100 it raises.

The Vance County Public School Foundation is sponsoring the fundraiser.

 

Windy, Rainy Hurricane Ian Largely Spared Vance County Area

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Residents in Vance County and the surrounding area may be picking up scattered branches and limbs from Friday’s storm, but overall damage was limited to downed trees and minimal property damage. Crews spent Friday evening and Saturday restoring power to customers who lost electricity in the pouring rain and driving wind. On Saturday, 7,028 customers were without power in Vance County.

But all in all, Hurricane Ian could have left a much worse path of destruction as it blew through this part of the state.

Emergency Management Services Director Brian Short said there were more than 30 reports of trees down in the area, as well as numerous alarms, fire alarms, traffic accidents and electrical-related calls, Short said, but no major injuries or deaths were reported as a result of the storm.

“All of our public safety agencies worked well together throughout the storm as they always do. Our 911 telecommunicators worked very hard answering your calls for help and coordinating our field response personnel,” Short said. “Fire and rescue crews worked tirelessly responding to trees down, keeping roadways clear and responding to fire-related alarms and other calls. Our EMS crews responded to numerous accidents and medical related incidents and our law enforcement officers patrolled areas without power, and responded to numerous alarms and traffic accidents,” Short reported.

Thankfully, the area saw mostly just rain and wind, which gusted up to the 35-37 mph range and the rainfall measured at the emergency operations center was 1.81 inches.

A wind gust of 39 mph was recorded at the emergency operations center in downtown Henderson, Short said in a written statement. And three inches of rain was the highest amount recorded in the county.

At the height of the storm, more than half a million customers were without power in the Carolinas, and Duke Energy had 10,000 crew members out working to get the power back on. As of 11 a.m. today, there were just under 100 households in North Carolina still waiting to get power restored.

Ian had departed the area by Saturday, and the cleanup and recovery process could be undertaken in earnest, Short said in a report issued over the weekend.

“The most intense weather did not arrive until around 5 p.m. Gusty winds and heavy rains caused downed trees and power outages as well as localized flash flooding, as predicted,” Short said. The highest wind gust recorded at the County Emergency Operations Center was 39 mph. Our data matches that captured by the National Weather Service as well,” he noted.

Over 1,000 Dosage Units of Heroin Nets Suspect a $355,000 Bond and a Trip to Jail

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— HPD Press Release Information — 

On September 30, 2022 officers of the Henderson Police Department served a narcotic search warrant at 1141 Booker St. Henderson, North Carolina in response to a drug complaint.

During the service of the warrant, approximately 1,088 dosage units of heroin, 537 grams of marijuana, drug manufacturing equipment, US currency, and two semi-automatic pistols were seized. One of the pistols was reported stolen from Wake County.

36-year-old Cornelius Vandergrift was arrested in relation to this investigation.

Vandergrift was charged with two counts of Trafficking Heroin, one count of Possession with Intent to Manufacture, Sell, Deliver Heroin, one count of Possession with Intent to Manufacture, Sell, Deliver Marijuana, Felony Possession of Marijuana, one count of Possession of a Stolen Firearm, Simple Possession of Schedule II, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, one count of Maintaining a Dwelling Place for a Controlled Substance and two counts of Possession of Firearm by Felon.

Vandergrift received a $355,000.00 secured bond and was remanded to Vance County Detention by the magistrate.

Not Rain, Not Wind…RHI Fundraiser a Success

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The fall barbecue chicken fundraiser was Friday.

All indications are it was a complete sell out.

Served were chicken halves, potatoes, string beans, bread and dessert for $8 per plate.

Rebuilding Hope Director Randolph Wilson reached out to WIZS Friday morning for radio announcements saying, “Our fundraiser is still on and we have drive thru pickup in the warehouse out of the rain.”

By 4:45 p.m. Friday, only 30 plates remained according to Wilson.

Here at WIZS we all enjoyed our plates and many happy people reached out about how delicious it was, including on social media.

Water Outage Along and Near 158 Bypass

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A transmission line failed Friday morning, and crews were quickly on site.

The initial determination was the areas involved were “158 Bypass from Calvary Church to Poplar Creek Road, Huntstone Subdivision, West Hills Subdivision, and VGCC,” said William Bailey, street maintenance supervisor for the City of Henderson Public Works Department.

As of 2:30 p.m. Friday, water had been restored to VGCC and Huntstone Subdivision.

Bailey told WIZS Friday afternoon, crews anticipated “being able to turn water on this evening (Friday) around midnight.”

The City had a 24-inch transmission line that failed. Several areas experience no water or low water pressure.

Even though most of the areas described are not within the City limits, they receive City water service in a lot of cases because they are in the extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ).

TownTalk: DMV Commissioner Goodwin Discusses REAL ID

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The REAL ID looks like any other state-issued driver license, but that gold star emblem in the upper corner is what makes it different from a regular driver license. Beginning in May of next year, having a license in your wallet with a REAL ID enhancement could save you time at the airport or if you need to gain access to a military base, federal courthouse or federal prison, according to N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Wayne Goodwin.

Goodwin spoke with John C. Rose on Wednesday’s TownTalk to discuss details of the REAL ID.

The REAL ID is a way “to verify cardholders’ identities and lawful presence in the United States,” Goodwin explained.

There are specific supporting documents that individuals must provide to initially obtain a REAL ID, but drivers or others who already are in the DMV system may find the process less complicated than someone applying for the first time, he added.

Applicants must apply in person at their local DMV office; the initial process cannot be completed online because the documents must be scanned and stored in the DMV system.

Following is a list of documents needed to apply for a REAL ID:

  • One document that states your full name, proving identity and date of birth;
  • One document that states your full name and full Social Security Number to confirm SSN;
  • Two documents that contain your current physical address to prove residency;
  • Non-U.S. citizens must provide one document that states their full name proving legal presence/lawful status;
  • If applicable, one or more documents that verify any name changes

Although May 3, 2023 has been designated as the date that enforcement of the 2005 REAL ID Act will begin, Goodwin said “it’s not really a deadline, per se, but that’s when federal authorities will begin enforcing it.” He added those with REAL IDs can “visit efficiently” facilities such as nuclear power plants, military bases, federal courthouses and federal prisons.

Domestic airline travelers can show a current passport along with their driver license in lieu of carrying a REAL ID; Goodwin said it is not necessary to have the special ID to vote or to apply for, or receive, any federal benefits.

“It’s a special type of identification issued by each state that is a product of our need as a country to protect ourselves from a national security standpoint after 9/11,”  Goodwin explained.

Goodwin recently completed the process of obtaining his own REAL ID, and said any of the 117 DMV agencies across the state can help individuals do the same.

Visit https://www.ncdot.gov/ to learn more about NC REAL ID, the necessary documents and the process for obtaining a REAL ID.

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VGCC Hosts Oct. 20 Conference To “Imagine The Future Of Work”

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Vance-Granville Community College is hosting a daylong conference in October designed to help the region’s employers and business leaders to learn more about important workforce issues and how to create innovative programs to offset the challenges employers and employees face.

The “Business/Industry Connect 2022: Imagine the Future of Work” is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 20 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Civic Center on the college’s main campus in Vance County. The event is free, includes lunch, but registration is required. To register, visit BIC2022.eventbrite.com.

VGCC officials hope that the event can help businesses attract talent, understand the neuroscience behind successful hiring, institute highly motivating onboarding programs and develop a company culture that energizes coworkers, unlocks their potential and leads to higher retention rates. Many organizations are finding it difficult to find and keep skilled workers, according to a press statement from Jerry Edmonds, III, VGCC’s vice president of Workforce & Community Engagement.

Two special guests will help facilitate the conference: Phil Dixon and Bryan W. Mattimore.

Dixon graduated from Warwick University with a degree in Computer Science. His career in the Information Technology field included a stint with Apple before launching his own consulting firm. In 2010, he earned a master’s degree in Consulting and Coaching for Change in England at a program run jointly by HEC Paris and Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford. He found his life’s passion in studying neuroscience and the brain.

Today a resident of Oxford – in Granville County – Dixon has published several articles and books about the brain, and is a frequent and international speaker on the topic of brain-based leadership.

Mattimore is cofounder and “Chief Idea Guy” of the Growth Engine Company, based in Connecticut. In his business consulting career, Mattimore has given more than100 keynote addresses, facilitated over a thousand brainstorming sessions, and managed 200 successful innovation projects, leading to over three billion dollars in new sales annually for one-third of the Fortune 100 companies. He is also a Senior Fellow with The Conference Board, an innovation and marketing instructor for Caltech in their Executive Education Department, and the author of several books. His new book, “Islands of Invention, How to Create Extraordinary Innovation Centers,” co-authored with McKinsey consultant Claus Raasted, is set to be published later this year.

“We look forward to this opportunity for the local business and economic development community to gather, learn and collaborate on ways to not only find new team members, but also to develop and engage the employees they already have,” said VGCC Grants Administrator Ken Wilson, who is coordinating the conference. “VGCC and our partners in education and workforce development are here to help local organizations successfully hire and train their talent.”

For more information, contact Ken Wilson at wilsonk@vgcc.edu.