RCAPS is Dream Come True, in More Ways Than One
The Friday night “Freedom Runs” that leave the Vance County Animal Shelter ferry animals from the confines of a kennel to foster or adoptive homes. For Brandon Boyd, president of the Ruin Creek Animal Protection Society that sponsors the event, it’s a dream come true.
Boyd spoke with John C. Rose on Thursday during a new program called “The Local Skinny.” He started the RCAPS in 2011 and, a decade later, the rescue effort continues. “We’ve had a great start to the year,” he said, “rescue has just been fantastic.”
He is especially pleased to be working with the folks at the shelter in Granville County, and said his plan is to continue growing partnerships with other counties. “We’ve just got a lot of things going on for this new year that is very exciting,” Boyd said. The Granville shelter recently reported a record-low euthanasia rate of 6 percent, which Boyd called “fantastic news.” Incorporating the RCAPS model in Granville could push that percent rate even lower.
In the last month, the group has purchased two new vans to add to the “Freedom Run” fleet. They’re outfitted with kennels to transport the animals. “All of this is about saving lives and getting animals out” of the shelters and to adoption and rescue partners so the animals can find loving homes, Boyd said.
Of course, RCAPS relies on donations and volunteers to make the mission a reality. “There have been so many great things that have been done and so many great things that we are going to continue to do, thanks to the help and support of our wonderful donors,” Boyd said. “We’re only as strong as our network and the people that support this cause,” he said. There’s still a lot of great work to be done. And we plan to do it.”
Among the newer partnerships is Rescue Ranch, which operates in Statesville, NC. Consider volunteering to walk a dog at the animal shelter, he said, or check out RCAPS on FaceBook for a livestream of the Friday evening Freedom Runs.
“We’re doing everything we can to get these dogs out of here and placed in their forever home,” he said. “The work is amazing, the results are just astonishing,” Boyd said. “In my wildest dreams, I never would have believed that (RCAPS) could become what it has become and it makes me so happy and so proud to know that we’re making a difference and we’re saving lives.”
Visit rcaps.org to learn more.
RCE Theaters-Marketplace Is Open
RCE Theaters-Marketplace is open for business, and owners Blaine and Janelle Given hope families in the area will fall in love with the movie-going experience all over again. They bought the former Henderson Marketplace last year and, since then, have worked to make sure patrons can enjoy a movie in a place where cleanliness is key.
Opening a movie theater in the middle of a pandemic may not have been ideal timing, but Blaine Given told Trey Snide during Wednesday’s show on WIZS “The Local Skinny” that interior updates, lower ticket prices and a strict attention to wiping down surfaces between seatings all contribute to an enjoyable, safe place to visit.
Blaine and Janelle Given breathed new life into the area’s only multi-screen movie complex, which opened in 1991. RCE Marketplace joins their other two theaters in Roanoke Rapids and Elizabeth City, which faced closure before they took ownership.
They bought the Roanoke Rapids theater in 2013, the Elizabeth City theater two years later, then learned that the Marketplace was for sale last year – just as the nation began to reel from the COVID-19 pandemic. They met with then-owner Dr. Mike Smith and his wife and everybody agreed to make it a win-win for buyers and sellers, as well as for the community. “Our big focus was the people of Henderson and the surrounding area. How we could make sure we kept that facility open and available for families to have a place to come and make memories and spend time together,” Blaine Given said.
Among the upgrades, he noted, is a renovation of, including new seating, in one of the auditoriums. If his prediction holds true, all auditoriums could be equally renovated by the end of 2021.
Just like other businesses when they re-opened during the pandemic, the theater had to build in extra cleaning steps to comply with COVID-19 restrictions. That, Blaine Given said, is one thing they can do to contribute to the effort to combat the virus.
“We have the opportunity in the movie theater to do it on a bigger level,” he said. All high-touch surfaces, including seats, get wiped down between every show. In addition, the seats get an extra solution sprayed on them at the end of each evening. The air systems are monitored to make sure everything’s running properly and Given said they installed hand-sanitizing stations “all over the theater” for patrons’ use. “We are just trying to make sure that people are not concerned about the cleanliness (of the theater) or the risk of coming to the movie theater is any greater than it would be anywhere else, he added.
He and wife Janelle, president of RCE Theaters, want other families to have the same love of going to the movies as they have, “where families come to make memories,” Blaine said. So, they have lowered ticket prices to make the experience more affordable. “We want families to walk through the door and be entertained together,” he said.
Local Vance 2nd Dose Vaccine Clinic Postponed To Feb 21 Due To Weather
PLEASE SEE IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT BELOW! Local Vance 2nd Dose Vaccine Clinic Postponed To Feb 21 Due To Weather
This is a 2nd dose vaccination event only. No first doses will be given. This event is by appointment only. If you do not have an appointment, then you will not be accommodated.
The event on Feb. 21st will happen no matter what. Also, keep in mind, if you had your first dose on January 24, then you already have an appointment for the second dose. You do not have to call and get an appointment.
The partners involved, including Maria Parham Health, Granville Vance Public Health, Vance County Schools, H-V Emergency Management and local law enforcement with the Vance County Sheriff’s Office and Henderson Police, tell WIZS News there was a lot of concern for having the second dose clinic this weekend. WIZS has been informed that in the coming week, additional plans are already underway to assure the February 21st second dose clinic happens.
SportsTalk Coach’s Corner 02-12-21 Hunter Jenks And Player Of The Week
Trey Snide and Ron Noel spoke with Vance Co. High School head football coach Hunter Jenks on SportsTalk about the upcoming football season which starts February 26th. With Covid 19 having delayed the start of football from late August to February and still an ongoing concern, Coach Jenks said the school and the team is adhering to strict Covid protocols. While the Vipers are having to share players with other sports, Jenks said “The players are eager to learn. I’m very happy.” Once basketball ends Jenks will be able to add another 18 players to his team. Jenks is pleased with his coaching staff and said that many nights the coaches work until 10:30 at night as they prepare for the season and an upcoming scrimmage against Goldsboro. When asked about the new conference that will feature more local teams next season Jenks said “Local rivalries are what makes high school sports.” WIZS will have live play by play of Vance Co. Football when the season starts on the 26th of February. Also during SportsTalk two young athletes were named as players of the week: A.K. Holden of Henderson Collegiate for the men’s award and Caroline Wiard of Crossroads Christian for the women’s award.
WIZS Local News 02-12-21 Noon
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Local News Airs on WIZS M-F at 8 a.m., 12 Noon and 5 p.m.
“TownTalk” Airs on WIZS M-F at 11 a.m.
“The Local Skinny!” Airs on WIZS Mon-Thurs at 11:30 a.m.
VGCC celebrates Entrepreneurship Week
— courtesy of Vance Granville Community College
Vance-Granville Community College is celebrating National Entrepreneurship Week (Feb. 13-20, 2021) with a variety of virtual events for the community.
National Entrepreneurship Week (NEW), established by the United States Congress in 2006, is a celebration of small businesses, innovators, and creators who launch startups that bring ideas to life and drive economic vitality. “NEW is a time to celebrate, to be inspired and to get motivated to do what you love,” said VGCC Dean of Business & Industry Solutions Tanya Weary, who is coordinating the observance along with VGCC Small Business Center Director Sheri Jones.
VGCC’s online events kick off on Saturday, Feb. 13, at 9 a.m. with a video posted to the VGCC Facebook page (www.facebook.com/vancegranville), entitled “What is Entrepreneurship?” followed on Sunday, Feb. 14, at 9 a.m. with another video posted on the Facebook page, called “Do What You Love!”
On Monday, Feb. 15 at noon, VGCC will present a lively, one-hour seminar, entitled “Give It to the People: Your Brand, Your Voice, Your Business,” with instructor Chisa D. Pennix-Brown, the CEO of Lady Bizness. Attendees will learn how to empower their brand, enhance their voice and increase their business. There will be opportunities to ask questions of the presenter. Registration in advance is required through www.vgcc.edu/entre/.
The next day, Tuesday, Feb. 16, at noon, the community is invited to “Lunch with an Entrepreneur – Learn the Failures and Successes of Starting a Business,” with Jason Shearin, a seasoned entrepreneur and owner of Lake Gaston Coffee in Littleton. Shearin will lead a discussion on what it takes to own your own business and will take questions from participants. Registration in advance is required through www.vgcc.edu/entre/.
Dean Tanya Weary will lead a webinar, “Business Plan 101,” on Wednesday, Feb. 17, at noon. She will explain how one of the most important tasks in starting a new business or growing an existing business is the business plan. Registration in advance is required through www.vgcc.edu/entre/.
On Thursday, Feb. 18, at 9 a.m., the college will showcase one of its recent alumni, Greg Kelly, who graduated from the VGCC Truck Driver Training (CDL) program, on VGCC’s Facebook page.
On Friday, Feb. 19, at 9 a.m., the community can attend a virtual “StartUp Crawl” in order to learn about, and take a virtual tour of, a pair of local business incubators: Frontier Warren and the Creedmoor Business Center. This will be accessed on the VGCC Facebook page.
The series concludes on Saturday, Feb. 20, at 9 a.m., with a session called “Taking the Initiative.” This video, posted to the VGCC Facebook page, is designed for people who have ideas for small businesses and are ready to take the next steps. Sheri Jones, director of VGCC’s Small Business Center, will discuss what these aspiring entrepreneurs need to do.
The Small Business Center has a variety of resources to support entrepreneurs through education and training. For more information on the Small Business Center, contact Sheri Jones at joness@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3240.
For more information about National Entrepreneurship Week, contact Tanya Weary at wearyt@vgcc.edu, visit www.vgcc.edu/entre/ and follow the VGCC Facebook page (www.facebook.com/vancegranville).
–VGCC–
WIZS Local News 2-11-21 Noon
WIZS Your Community Voice — 100.1 FM / 1450 AM
Click Play for today’s Local News Audio.
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Local News Airs on WIZS M-F at 8 a.m., 12 Noon and 5 p.m.
“TownTalk” Airs on WIZS M-F at 11 a.m.
“The Local Skinny!” Airs on WIZS Mon-Thurs at 11:30 a.m.
Free Covid Tests; Free Groceries; Free PPE in Oxford, Henderson, Warrenton
UPDATE 12 NOON, WEDNESDAY, FEB. 17, 2021
THESE EVENTS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED BECAUSE OF A SECOND ICE STORM FORECAST FOR THE AREA. THE EVENTS WILL BE RESCHEDULED, AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS, THEY WILL BE ANNOUNED ON WIZS RADIO AND POSTED ONLINE.
UPDATE 7:45 P.M. FRIDAY —
The COVID-19 testing event scheduled for Saturday, 02/13 at the Public Works Building in Oxford has been cancelled because of the weather forecast. GRRO has chosen to follow the NCDOT recommendation to stay off the roads because of the anticipated ice/winter storm. We will let the public know when we reschedule the event.
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Free covid testing, free food and free PPE distribution events are coming to Oxford, Henderson and Warrenton.
Green Rural Redevelopment Organization (GRRO) has partnered with City of Oxford Public Works, Shiloh Baptist Church in Henderson and the Warren County Health Department to present the events over a seven day period.
GRRO Deputy Director Lucette Mercer announced the events with a series of press releases:
On Saturday, February 13th, a COVID-19 community testing and resource distribution event will be
held from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM at the City of Oxford Public Works Building parking lot located at 127 Penn Avenue in Oxford;
On Thursday, February 18th, a COVID-19 community testing and resource distribution event will
be held from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM at the Shiloh Baptist Church parking lot located at 635 South College Street in Henderson;
On Friday, February 19th, a COVID-19 community testing and resource distribution event will be
held from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM at the Warren County High School parking lot located at 149 Campus Drive in Warrenton.
At these drive-up events, people who get tested will also received free groceries and free personal protective equipment such as masks, gloves and sanitizer. Information about coronavirus vaccine will be available.
Additional partners making the community events possible are Groundwater Solutions and Genesis Project 1.
For more information call 252.430.7999. Free transportation is available by calling 803.207.6511.
“North Carolina continues to see high numbers of Coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths. The CDC and local health departments recommend that we all continue to get tested and observe all safety precautions. Even with the distribution of the vaccine, getting tested and knowing your COVID status are very important for your safety and the safety of those around you,” Mercer wrote.
ATTENTION! RABID RACCOON FOUND NEAR REGIONAL WATER LANE
— from Vance County Animal Services
Courtesy of Vance County Animal Services and Chief Frankie Nobles