ALE Operation Nets 28 Misdemeanor Charges in Henderson

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On Tuesday, April 20th, agents with NC Alcohol Law Enforcement issued 28 misdemeanor charges in Henderson.  A total of 15 people were charged.

Clay Joyner, special agent in charge for ALE in District 4 – Raleigh told WIZS News, “Our main focus of what we went that day for was to focus on any criminal activity in and around ABC permitted establishments, with a focus on underage possession, consumption and sale to underage.”

Several areas in the district were targeted during the week last week, and one of those areas was Henderson.

Statewide, in recognition of Alcohol Awareness Month, ALE special agents concluded the statewide enforcement operation on Friday resulting in over 200 people charged, according to a press release from ALE. There were also seizures of alcoholic beverages, drugs, firearms and cash across the state.

ALE special agents will submit violation reports to the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission documenting the criminal and regulatory violations which could result in fines, suspensions, or revocations of ABC permits.

Vance County was one of 18 counties statewide involved in last week’s efforts.

The Local Skinny! April 26, VCS Budget, Classified Staff

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Vance County Schools Superintendent Dr. Anthony Jackson says the VCS budget will consider an increase in classified staff compensation.

Q: Middle and high schools were consolidated a few years back and it seems like there was about a $2 million per year savings that was talked about at that time. As we head into the 21-22 budget year, what’s affecting your upcoming budget the most right now and what does your budget look like in terms of savings that you’re realizing from past consolidation?

A: As you can see, we’ve been able to expand programs. Our goal was the savings would be poured back into programming and so since that time, we’ve been able to launch our center for innovation, we’ve been able to launch our V3 Academy, we’ve been able to expand our athletic programs, we’ve been able to expand our fine arts programs, we’ve been able to lower some class sizes at our secondary schools and things like that…the things we promised, we’ve been able to refresh our technology devices and add Z Space labs, so we’ve been able to do the things we said we were going to do while not asking for one additional dime from our county.

Our challenges this year are different. COVID has presented a huge challenge, and we’ve talked about it before, and it’s around the ‘people’ part of this work. The workforce has become far more competitive than it has been and that means that salaries are shifting and so our local…we’re challenged right now to keep up with salaries for our classified employees, particularly in our maintenance area. We’re in the middle of doing a salary study and we’ve found that our employees are significantly behind those in the region. We’ve always known that with our teachers and our professional staff. But our classified staff are equally challenged. So that’s our biggest budget challenge. You’ve got to find recurring dollars for that – you can’t just take savings from one place and move it over there for one year or you can’t just use COVID dollars to backfill. We’ve got to make an investment in our people and that’s our biggest challenge. And so we’ve made a modest request in our budget this year to help us at least begin that process. We can’t do it in one swoop, but that’s our goal to try to do that. Every single metric that we set with consolidation, in terms of reducing our footprint, in terms of expanding programs, in terms of increasing enrollment at our middle and high schools, and as well as offering more innovative programs to our students in our community.

We feel good about that and now we’ve got to go to the next steps of balancing all of that out and making sure we keep the right people in the right seats on the bus so we can keep moving forward.

Vance DSS Info Events to Help with NC Medicaid Deadline May 14

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Vance County residents enrolled in Medicaid have until May 14 to choose from one of six managed health plans that best suit their needs, and the local Department of Social Services is sponsoring a couple of drive-thru informational events to help in the decision-making.

The first event is scheduled for Friday, April 30, with a second on Friday, May 7, according to DSS Director Denita DeVega.

She and Goldie Davis, income maintenance administrator with DSS, spoke with John C. Rose on Town Talk April 13, 2021. Both events will be held at the DSS offices, located at 350 Ruin Creek Road, Henderson. Times for each day are 10 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

DeVega said that, so far, only about 400 of the county’s more than 13,000 Medicaid recipients have chosen a managed care plan. “I’m afraid that people may not be taking it seriously this time.” The process was started last year but ultimately wasn’t approved at the state level. Davis said those who haven’t chosen a health plan by the mid-May deadline will have a plan chosen for them. The new plan goes into effect on July 1, she said.

“One of the advantages of enrolling yourself,” Davis said, “is that you’ll be able to choose the plan that best suits you.” For example, beneficiaries may decide to choose a plan based on which plan their current primary care physician (PCP) is included in, Davis added.

DeVega said the benefits of Medicaid will not change, rather it will be managed more like traditional health care. Medicaid is currently managed by the state, but Medicaid recipients will choose from six managed health care plans to administer their health coverage.

There will be printed information about each of the plans at the drive-thru events so people can read more about what each plan offers before making a decision. DSS is not involved in choosing the health plan for recipients, but the department is providing information and having plan representatives available to answer questions. Each county DSS has a liaison assigned to help people choose the plan that is best for them. Call the toll-free number 833.870.5500 or learn more online at ncmedicaidplans.gov.

DeVega and Davis invite the community to come to the drive-thru event if they have questions. “If they’re not sure what to do,” Davis said, “we can assist them in getting the information they need to enroll in the health plan.”

For complete details and audio click play.

 

Open Broadband Opening Up to Vance

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Three years ago surveys about local broadband service went out.  Almost two years ago area local governments in Vance, Granville and Franklin Counties began approving contracts.  Now, more and more potential from the process is being realized.

Specifically in Vance County, the latest on Open Broadband was revealed earlier this month at the monthly meeting of the Vance County Commissioners.

Open Broadband is a North Carolina company serving 19 counties by offering broadband to underserved communities.

Vance County Manager Jordan McMillen told WIZS News, “Open Broadband has installed equipment and is offering service to customers within sight of our Warrenton Road Water tank and our New Hope Elementary School water tank. They are in the process of testing the equipment and intend to open up LTE service within the next month or so from these tanks.”

LTE service is scheduled to be fully up and running by the end of May.

McMillen confirmed in an email to WIZS, “This will allow our citizens within approximately 5 miles of each tank to sign on for monthly wireless broadband service with Open Broadband at lower rates than the currently available options.”

The company acknowledged that the timeframe for rolling this out is behind schedule approximately a year and a half.

“Over the next 3-4 years Open Broadband intends to spread coverage out to cover larger portions of the county,” McMillen said.

Details, monthly emails and signing up to be on a waitlist for service are available options at the company’s web page — openbb.net.

Vance Board of Education Recognizes Athletes at April Meeting

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— courtesy of Vance County Schools and the latest Board Briefs Publication

The Board of Education recognized student athletes. Rosie Kanouff, senior at Early College High School, was recognized as an all-conference selection in Volleyball. Tra’On Lyons, a senior at Vance County High School, was recognized as an all-conference selection in Boys Basketball. Yumyah Hargrove, a senior at Early College High School was recognized as an all-conference selection in Girls Basketball. Blake Vick, a freshman at Early College High School, pitched a complete game no hitter in her first career varsity softball game on 3/17 in a 13-1 victory over Chapel Hill High School. She finished the game with 11 strikeouts in 5 innings pitched. We are extremely proud of our student’s athletic accomplishments.

H-V Chamber Logo

Nominate Someone for Citizen of the Year 2020

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From the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce — 

The Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce is now accepting nominations for the 2020 Citizen of the Year!  This award is presented each year by the Chamber to recognize an individual for their volunteer work to make our community a better place to live.  The Annual Banquet and Meeting is the setting for the award presentation.  Due to the pandemic the Annual Banquet will be held virtually at a later date that will be announced in the near future.

Please send in those nominations by using the attached form.  The deadline is May 21st.

Nomination Form for Citizen of the Year – 2020

 

The Citizen of the Year award is presented each year by the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce to recognize an individual for their volunteer work to make our community a better place to live.

The criteria used in making the selection includes:

  • The person must be a resident of the Henderson-Vance County community.
  • The acts and good deeds for which the award is presented must have been performed for the benefit of Vance County and its citizens.
  • The community at large should recognize, once the award is made, that it is deserved.
  • The activities resulting in the award should be regarded outside the recipient’s normal business or profession.
  • The recipient does not have to be a member of the Chamber.

 

———————————————–

 

To nominate an individual for this award, fill out the information below and attach a letter describing the things you think make this individual eligible for this award. If possible, please attach other letters of support for this individual.

 

Name:                                                                                                             

Address:                                                                                                         

Place of Employment:                                                                                 

 

Your contact information:

Name:                                                                                                               

Email Address:                                                                                               

Phone Number:                                                                                              

 

Submit nomination form and letter(s) to the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of

Commerce, P.O. Box 1302, Henderson, NC 27536 or by email to

michele@hendersonvance.org by Friday, May 21, 2021

The Local Skinny! Apr 22 Abandoned Mobile Homes

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Vance County residents can participate in a state-funded program to remove abandoned mobile homes from their property. Jason Falls, county solid waste director, said the program is seeking four or five more applicants to sign up for the program.

Participation is voluntary, but savings are big, Falls said on Thursday’s segment of The Local Skinny! Grant applicants pay $250 to remove a single-wide mobile home and $500 for a double-wide. The typical deconstruction and removal cost is about $3,500, Falls said.

“The program identifies abandoned mobile homes across the county that pose aesthetics, health and safety hazards. This is a voluntary program on behalf of the homeowner and is meant to enhance the beauty, safety and appearance of Vance County,” Falls said.

The county has participated in the state program in the past and Falls estimated that about 100 abandoned mobile homes have been removed from properties as a result.

Sign up by calling Chris Fowler in the county planning department, 252.738.2092. Applications are also available at the Planning Department, 156 Church Street, Suite 003, Henderson.

TownTalk 04-22-21 Vaccines, Restrictions, Latest in NC

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TownTalk Broadcast Audio 4-22-21

The base of information for TownTalk 4-22-21 comes from the following press release from the State of North Carolina, Governor Roy Cooper and NCDHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen.

April 21, 2021 Press Release

Governor Cooper Outlines Timeline for Lifting State’s COVID-19 Restrictions
As vaccinations continue and trends stabilize, NC will lift mandatory social distancing, capacity, and mass gathering restrictions by June 1

Governor Roy Cooper and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D. laid out a timeline for lifting current pandemic restrictions today. With stable trends and continued vaccination success, the state expects to lift mandatory social distancing, capacity, and mass gathering restrictions by June 1. The Governor plans to issue an executive order next week outlining safety restrictions for the month of May.

“Each shot in an arm is a step closer to putting this pandemic in the rearview mirror,” said Governor Cooper. “North Carolinians have shown up for each other throughout this entire pandemic and we need to keep up that commitment by getting our vaccines.”

North Carolina continues to focus on distributing vaccines quickly and equitably. This fast and fair approach to getting shots in arms is the best way to beat this pandemic, protect one another, boost the economy and make it possible for restrictions to be lifted.

To date, the state has administered over 6.5 million vaccines. 46.9 percent of adults are at least partially vaccinated, and 35.1 percent are fully vaccinated. More than 76 percent of people 65 and older have had at least one shot.

With vaccine now widely available across the state – often with no wait for an appointment, all North Carolinians 16 and older can plan to take their shot. The state anticipates lifting the mask mandate and easing other public health recommendations, once two thirds of adult North Carolinians have received at least one vaccine dose and if trends remain stable.

“We are at an exciting moment. We now have enough vaccine for everyone,” said Secretary Cohen. “If you are 16 and older, it is your turn to join the more than 3.6 million North Carolinians who have already taken their first shot. It’s up to you to get us to the two thirds goal as quickly as possible so we can live with this virus and begin to put this pandemic behind us.”

Gov. Cooper and Sec. Cohen urged North Carolinians continue to get vaccinated and exercise good judgment even when restrictions are lifted. Businesses should continue to follow voluntary health recommendations and North Carolinians should continue to take safety measures in order to boost the economy, keep children in schools and protect each other.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released statistics indicating that North Carolina is among the states with the fewest deaths and fewest job losses per capita.

State health officials are continuing to monitor the presence of COVID-19 and its more contagious variants in North Carolina, which is why it is important to continue to follow the state’s mask mandate and continue to practice safety precautions, including the Three Ws—wear a mask, wait 6 feet apart, and wash hands often.

If you avidly follow the latest information in North Carolina about covid, the following press release from North Carolina came out Thursday, April 22, 2021 AFTER TownTalk was already complete.

NCDHHS Announces Summer Community Get-out-the-Vaccine Campaign
Initiative Aims to Vaccinate Majority of North Carolina’s Adults by Summer

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced the Bringing Summer Back get-out-the-vaccine campaign that will engage community organizations across the state to fully vaccinate as many people as possible by summer.

To date, more than 3.6 million adults in North Carolina have been vaccinated with at least one dose. While the state has made great progress in helping people schedule and get to their vaccine appointments, more than half of the adult population is still completely unvaccinated, putting them at higher risk of contracting and spreading the virus.

Being fully vaccinated means getting back to hugging loved ones who are also fully vaccinated, gathering with fully vaccinated friends and family and going to small indoor gatherings with less worry. Getting the majority of North Carolina’s adults vaccinated by summer means getting back to the summer activities we all love — like backyard gatherings with families and friends, public fireworks, outdoor festivals or parades — all without wearing masks.

The Bringing Summer Back campaign is a fun, flexible and community-centered approach that creates a space for every organization and individual to roll up their sleeves and do their part to stop the spread of COVID-19 and get everyone back to the people and places they love. The campaign will run during two weeks in May (May 9–15 and May 16–21) and two weeks in June (June 6–12 and June 20–26), during which organizations across the state will rally together to promote vaccination.

Organizations can get involved in a number of ways:

    • Organize volunteer days: Invite members, volunteers and others to participate in a day(s) of phone banking, door knocking or other forms of outreach to the communities they serve.
    • Distribute resources: Notify communities about efforts to help people get COVID-19 vaccine appointments through emails, social media or other creative ways.
    • Host a get-out-the-vaccine challenge: Create friendly competition. See who can reach out to the most people via phone, door knocking, social media or other ways. Offer an incentive to get people motivated and involved.
    • Get creative: Come up with your own approach to encourage people to get vaccinated.

Organizations that would like to get involved can register to participate and access toolkit materials at covid19.ncdhhs.gov/BringSummerBack (Spanish: covid19.ncdhhs.gov/Devueltaalverano) or by emailing BringingSummerBack@dhhs.nc.gov.

The toolkit offers simple, specific steps everyone can take to navigate people to an appointment, such as calling loved ones who haven’t been vaccinated yet, sharing their experience on social media and asking if anyone needs support in getting vaccinated.

For more information about COVID-19 vaccines in North Carolina, visit YourSpotYourShot.nc.gov or call the state’s COVID-19 Vaccine Help Center at 888-675-4567. Appointments can be made by visiting myspot.nc.gov.