WIZS Radio Local News Audio 01-24-22 Noon
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Positive Cases – Mostly Omicron – Still Rising In Vance, Granville
The Granville Vance Health District reports that 95 percent of all confirmed cases of COVID-19 are identified as the Omicron variant. Positivity rates in both counties remain high – 28.9 percent in Vance and 25 percent in Granville – and GVPH Director Lisa M. Harrison said there likely are more positive cases that simply haven’t confirmed through testing.
In the past 7 days, there have been 717 new cases in Vance County and 1,088 new cases in Granville County.
So far, Vance There have been 12,148 cases of COVID-19 in Granville County and 10,202 cases of COVID-19 in Vance County for a total of 22,350 across the health district.
Granville County has documented 108 deaths as a result of COVID-19 and Vance County has a total of 109 deaths, according to the weekly update from GVPH.
“Nearly 2,000 new cases have been confirmed through labs in the two-county district over the last week alone more than 3,500 in the district over the last two weeks,” Harrison wrote in the update, stressing the need for health offiicals to share the public health recommendations and tools to slow the spread of COVID-19.
“I realize we’re all very tired of navigating the pandemic,” Harrison said. “However, we will continue to work hard in public health to do our job well, to share our why as to the importance of vaccination (including getting your booster doses in!) and the importance of layered mitigation tools including wearing a well-fitting mask, distancing, practicing good hand hygiene, and paying attention to good ventilation in indoor spaces.”
In response to questions about cases within the Butner federal prison complex, Harrison said the most up-to-date numbers show 17 inmates and 15 staff members reported to our communicable disease team as testing positive for COVID-19.
If you feel ill or know you have been exposed to COVID-19, you should seek testing. Stay home when you’re sick to prevent transmission to others, and rapidly notify close contacts and seek healthcare to facilitate access to medical treatment if they are at higher risk for severe outcomes. Public health will continue to evaluate the optimal control strategies for COVID as the response evolves and make strategic changes to prevent or reduce transmission.
Nobles Named President of Local Crime Stoppers
Frankie Nobles has been named president of the Henderson-Vance Crime Stoppers, according to Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow. Nobles is Vance County’s chief of animal services.
Tonya Moore is vice president, and James Baines is secretary of the group. Danny Wright continues to serve as treasurer and Lorraine Watkins remains the state board representative.
The local Crime Stoppers program brings together members of the community, media, law enforcement and businesses to solve crimes.
A statement on the local social media page explains how Crime Stoppers works: “Citizens are encouraged through cash rewards and a promise of anonymity to provide information leading to the arrest and indictment of criminals. Crime Stoppers is governed by a board of volunteer directors dedicated toward making the community a safer place to live and work. A director is elected by the board to oversee the Crime Stoppers Program, receive confidential information about crimes, and to forward the information to the appropriate law enforcement agency.”
Commissioners To Hold Public Hearing Feb. 7 To Begin Planning 2022-23 Budget
The Vance County Board of Commissioners will hold a pre-budget public hearing on Feb. 7, 2022 in the commissioners’ meeting room, 122 Young St.
The meeting will begin at 6 p.m., or shortly thereafter, according to a public notice from the county manager’s office.
The board of commissioners will soon begin work on developing the 2022-23 county budget and is interested in receiving suggestions and priorities from residents to help them in the development of the budget. The Feb. 7 public hearing is the first of two public hearings that will be held on the budget. The county manager will submit a recommended budget in May and a second public hearing will be held on the proposed budget on June 6, 2022. The board will adopt the FY 2022-23 budget no later than July 1, 2022.
Man Shot During Home Invasion; Investigation Continues
The Vance County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a home invasion last month that left one man injured with several gunshot wounds.
Sheriff Curtis R. Brame has released few details about the incident, which occurred on Dec. 30, 2021, at 1840 Satterwhite Point Rd, in Henderson.
“Upon arrival, members of the Vance County Sheriff’s Office located a white male suffering from apparent gunshot wounds to various areas of the body,” according to a press statement from Brame.
The victim’s name has not been released, pending outcome of the investigation, according to the statement.
So far, the investigation has revealed that an unknown male subject forced entry into the victim’s home and fired numerous times, striking the victim.
Vance County EMS transported the victim to a local hospital for treatment. No arrests have been made and the investigation continues.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact the Vance County Sheriff’s Office or the local Crime Stoppers.
NCDA Junior Livestock Scholarship Applications Due Mar. 1
Information from NCDA&CS Livestock Marketing Section
Up to 25 $2,000 scholarships are available, in addition to one $2,500 Farm Credit of N.C. Premier Scholarship.Youth who participated in N.C. State Fair junior livestock competitions are eligible to apply for N.C. State Fair Junior Livestock Scholarships. The deadline to apply is March 1.
All youth who exhibited a livestock animal at the State Fair are eligible regardless of species, class or show placement. Scholarships are good for institutes of higher learning, including community colleges and technical schools. Students must be enrolled in a minimum of 9 course hours.
The scholarship money is raised through the State Fair’s annual Sale of Champions where grand and reserve grand champions are sold at auction. A percentage of the sale total goes into this youth livestock scholarship program.
“I am proud that this scholarship program has helped many young people and their parents pay for their college education,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Since the program started in 2015, we have awarded over $300,000 in scholarships.”
Students will need to submit the completed application, including their State Fair junior livestock experience, a 500-word essay, academic achievements and extracurricular activities they are involved in. Youth are eligible to receive the scholarship a maximum of four times.
Applications can be downloaded at www.ncstatefair.org. Completed application packets should be returned to N.C. State Fair, Attn: Livestock Office, 1010 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1010. For questions, contact Neil Bowman at by email at neil.bowman@ncagr.gov.
Wayne Adcock Auditorium Dedication Monday On Center For Innovation Campus
The auditorium at the Vance County Schools’ Center for Innovation will officially be named for longtime educator and former superintendent at a ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony on Monday, Jan. 24, 2022.
The public is invited to attend the event, during which the Wayne Adcock Auditorium will be officially dedicated, according to information from the school district. The ribbon-cutting is at 10 a.m., with the dedication immediately following.
Adcock, who was superintendent from July 1996 until January 2003, died Nov. 1, 2020 at the age of 73.
The Center for Innovation is a state-of-the-art facility where students, faculty and the community can engage in various programs and activities. It is located on the campus of the former Henderson High School, 219 Charles St.
The Local Skinny! Vance Eats: Jerry’s Hot Dogs
Food trucks are all the rage these days, but local folks know that their go-to spot for more than three decades is a true original. And whether you prefer your burger or ‘dog plain or all the way, stop by Jerry’s Footlongs & Italian Sausage and taste for yourself.
Trey Snide, acting on a tip from colleague Bill Harris, took his first bite ever of a footlong red, complete with jalapeños and chili on Thursday’s Vance Eats segment of The Local Skinny!
Between bites, Trey said Anthony Clark filled him in on a little of the history of the business, which his grandfather started. Jerry Taylor built his first cart from scraps from around the farm, and grandson Anthony still has it. It served its purpose for decades, Clark said.
Both Trey and Bill had high praise for the chili – “the chili makes the dog,” Bill said.
Taylor died a couple of years ago, but his legacy lives on, thanks to his grandson and to a loyal following from the area and beyond.
Find Jerry’s Footlongs in the parking lot of Pelican’s on North Garnett Street. Call 252.820.0649 to learn more.
Be prepared to choose from a menu that includes burgers and double burgers, as well as a “short” dog, a ham dog, footlong red, and Italian and sausage dogs.
Trey’s mission is to bring good food reviews to listeners. In coming weeks, he’ll be sampling fare from area restaurants, large and small. Vance Eats can be heard as part of the Local Skinny! on WIZS. The Local Skinny airs Monday through Thursday at 11:30 am on WIZS 1450AM, 100.1FM and online at wizs.com.
(This is not a paid ad.)
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Second Suspect Arrested In Oct. 2021 Fatal Shooting
A second person has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with a fatal shooting at a gas station in Williamsboro.
Members of the Vance County Sheriff’s Office arrested Keron Small on Jan. 7, 2022 in connection with the shooting death of Devontae Cheek on Oct. 30, 2021.
Small is in custody at the Vance County Detention Facility without privilege of bond.
According to information from the sheriff’s office, Cheek was exiting the passenger side of a motor vehicle to enter the station, located at the intersection of N.C. 39 North and Thomas Road when unknown subjects opened fire from a vehicle which then left the scene.
The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact the Vance County Sheriff’s Office.
Public Hearing Jan. 27 To Review, Discuss Elmwood Redevelopment Project
The city’s redevelopment commission is scheduled to hold the first of two public hearings next week to review and discuss the Elmwood Urban Redevelopment Area plan. The group will meet on Thursday, Jan. 27 at 5:30 p.m. in Council chambers at City Hall, 134 Rose Ave. The public is welcome to attend either in person or via Zoom, according to information from City Clerk Esther J. McCrackin.
The public hearings are part of the overall process of creating a workable plan for the proposed area, which consists of about 200 acres that include both sides of Burwell Avenue, Chestnut Street all the way to Andrews Avenue and almost to Beckford Drive, including Elmwood Cemetery. The city is getting guidance and support from the UNC School of Government’s Development Finance Initiative as it continues to refine a detailed plan for redevelopment for the area.
The second public hearing is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 3, beginning at 5:30 p.m. The location is the same – Council chambers – and the public may attend in person or via Zoom.
Join the Jan. 27 meeting via Zoom at the following link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81555003103?pwd=czlpZnpXYVVHaE9HNmxhZlJVeFBXZz09
Meeting ID: 815 5500 3103
Passcode: 884056
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Join the Feb. 3 meeting via Zoom at the following link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83435666091?pwd=RG9jSTgwdm1YSlI3VERZdzFUZEJzZz09
Meeting ID: 834 3566 6091
Passcode: 285955
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