National Weather Service

Hurricane Dorian Updates – Sept. 3; County & City Issue State of Emergency

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100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

Information courtesy Brian K. Short, director of Henderson-Vance County Emergency Operations

Please check the WIZS website, Facebook page and listen live to WIZS 1450 AM and 100.1 FM for storm updates throughout the week. The latest briefing from the National Weather Service can be found any time by clicking here.

Hurricane Dorian has begun making its northerly turn and is headed our way. The storm has decreased now down to a category 2 but is still expected to track very close to our coast as a category 2 storm.

As of now, we can still expect wind gusts of 15 – 35 mph and periods of heavy rain. Localized urban and flash flooding is also likely. Isolated downed trees and power outages are also possible. Presently, we should begin to feel the storm’s effect late Wednesday evening into early Thursday morning. Rainy and windy conditions will likely be present throughout the day Thursday and into Thursday night. By mid-day Friday, the storm should have moved on.

The local Vance County Emergency Operations Center will partially activate with EM staff only as of 9 a.m. tomorrow (Wednesday). We will also escalate to a readiness level of 1 at that time.

Today, we conducted a local officials briefing at 11 a.m. in the EOC to lay out our local response posture and we will continue to coordinate with our local response agencies over the coming days.

We will also continue to have daily conference calls with State EM, the National Weather Service and other State agencies throughout the week as well.

We continue to recommend that our residents begin basic storm preparation activities of their own if they have not already done so.

At this time we do not believe our level of impact will require the opening of a shelter. If that changes, we will utilize our Code Red community alert and notification system and social media to get the information out to our citizens.

We will be issuing a local Proclamation of a State of Emergency for the City of Henderson and Vance County as of 5 p.m. today. Presently, there are no public restrictions in place, however a curfew could be implemented if travel becomes hazardous due to fallen trees, blocked roads or downed power lines.

Please keep in mind, if you should experience a power loss, it could take several days to get it restored depending on our level of impact. We encourage those of you that do not have an alternative power source available to charge your personal devices (phones, laptops, etc.) and, in particular, those devices that provide a life sustaining function for you, such as a portable oxygen concentrator.

Please remember that 911 is for emergencies only. We will be overstaffed for the event, but our telecommunicators will likely be extremely busy handling emergency calls. Processing nonemergency calls could delay help getting to a person with a true emergency.

Please like and follow us on Facebook – Vance County Emergency Operations – to stay informed on current preparedness efforts and other storm related information.
Vance County Sheriff's Office

Two Arrested in Brewer Cycle Identity Theft Case

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-Press Release, Vance County Sheriff’s Office

On August 30, 2019, the Vance County Sheriff’s Office conducted an undercover operation with the assistance of Brewer Cycles in an effort to apprehend suspects committing identity theft. The suspects used a stolen identity in an effort to purchase an ATV valued at over $15,000.

With help from the Henderson Police Department and the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, both suspects were arrested.

Steven Bronson and Gregory Davis, both of Fayetteville, NC, were arrested and charged with identity theft, obtaining property by false pretense and unlawful access to a computer network to commit fraud.

Bronson was held on a $50,000 bond and Davis on a $100,000 bond.

The Vance County Sheriff’s Office is committed to working cooperatively with citizens, local businesses and other law enforcement agencies to enhance the safety of our county.

Sheriff Curtis R. Brame

Town Talk 09/03/19: 10th Annual Ducky Derby to Feature Festival-Like Atmosphere

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100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

Franklin-Granville-Vance Smart Start will hold its annual Ducky Derby Festival and rubber duck race, a fundraiser for the local Smart Start program, on Saturday, September 21, 2019, in downtown Henderson. The festival begins at 12 p.m. on Breckenridge Street between Perry Memorial Library and the Henderson Police Department.

According to Garry Daeke, development coordinator for F-G-V, this year’s activities include a bounce house and slide, face painting, corn hole, ring toss, balloon animals and performances by the Baby Shark and Paw Patrol characters.

Vendors will be on hand serving hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, sausage dogs, fish sandwiches, corn on the cob, funnel cakes, ice cream and snow cones.

Entertainment will include a DJ, singing performances from several daycare programs, music from Henderson Collegiate, Mary Potter Elementary School band and choir and the drumline from Granville Central High School.

The YMCA will lead line dancing and Zumba in the street and children will have the opportunity to man a real firehose with the assistance of the Henderson Fire Department.

Each child that attends the event will receive a free book, courtesy of Smart Start. Parents will also have the opportunity to enroll any child age birth to 5 in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a program that sends a book each month to children at their home.

“Our goal is to enroll 1,000 more children from this area into the program,” said Daeke. “We recently reached over 3,000 children enrolled and we are trying to get to 4,000 before the year is over. That would put us at 45-50% of the young children in the Franklin, Granville and Vance County areas that will be getting books in the mail.”

Safe Kids will also be present and will set up childcare safety seat inspections.

At 2 p.m., the entertainment switches to Garnett Street, where the rubber duck race will take place. Up to 2,000 rubber ducks will be poured into the Garnett Street “river” by a Greystone Concrete cement mixer.

The first duck to cross the finish line at Orange Street wins $1,000, second place $500 and third place finish is $250. Even the last duck to cross the finish line wins $100. There will be an additional drawing with one lucky winner receiving free “Chick-fil-A for a year,” a set of 52 meal tickets. Winners of the prizes do not have to be present to win.

In Henderson, tickets are on sale at EZ Car Care, Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce and State Employees Credit Union. All Smart Start staff and board members also have tickets, please call (252) 433-9110.

Tickets will also be on sale the day of the race. Ducks are $5 each, a “Quack Pack” of 6 tickets is $25 and a “Flock” of 25 tickets is available for $100.

Sponsors include:

Super Duck: Duke Energy, Union Bank, Granville Medical Center, Boyd & Royster Funeral Services

Top Duck: Charles Boyd Chevrolet and Cardinal Innovations

Feathered Friends: Henderson Family Dentistry, United Healthcare, Wester Realty, Greystone Concrete, City of Henderson, Chick-fil-A and Rose Oil Co.

To hear Daeke’s interview in its entirety, please click the play button below. Listen live to WIZS’ Town Talk Monday-Friday at 11 a.m. on 1450AM, 100.1 FM or online at www.wizs.com.

McGregor Hall Announces Audition Dates for ‘Black Nativity’

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-Information courtesy McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center

Be a part of the retelling of Christ’s birth through gospel song and movement! “Black Nativity” incorporates the poetry of Langston Hughes with drama, dance, and both contemporary and traditional gospel song.

ALL actors of ALL appearances are welcome.

You may choose to audition on either Saturday, September 14 at 10 a.m. or Sunday, September 15 at 3 p.m. You may subsequently be asked to attend a callback audition on Tuesday, September 17 at 7 p.m.

Auditions will be held at McGregor Hall, 201 Breckenridge Street in Henderson. Please enter through the backstage door facing Winder Street at the top of the handicap ramp.

There will be a movement component for the auditions, so please wear appropriate shoes and clothing.

The production opens on Thursday, December 12 with two daytime school field trip performances. There will also be evening performances at 8 p.m. on December 13-14 and a 2 p.m. matinee performance on December 15.

Rehearsals will begin Monday, October 7. Onstage chorus members may be asked to purchase or rent costumes at their own expense.

For more information or to sign up for auditions visit www.mcgregorhall.org/auditions or email markhopper@mcgregorhall.org.

Break a leg!

(This is not a paid advertisement)

Aycock Rec. Center to Offer Thurs. Evening Beginning Yoga Classes

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-Information courtesy Tara Goolsby, Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Facilities Supervisor, Aycock Recreation Center

Beginning Yoga classes will be held in the Aycock Recreation Center’s Multipurpose Room on Thursday evenings from 6:15 to  7 p.m. Classes begin Thursday, September 5 and end Thursday, November 21, 2019. Class will not be held Thursday, October 17.

These sessions are based on basic Yoga techniques that inspire physical, mental and spiritual peace from within through balance, stretching and breathing.

Please bring your own Yoga mat.

The fee is $1 for members and $2 for non-members. Class instructor is Beryle Lewis.

For more information, please contact Lauren Newlin at (252) 438-3160 or lnewlin@ci.henderson.nc.us

Aycock Rec Center

Aycock Rec. Center to Reopen Next Week, Dedication Ceremony to Follow

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-Information courtesy Tara Goolsby, Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Facilities Supervisor, Aycock Recreation Center

Aycock Recreation Center will reopen on Tuesday, September 3, with the gym scheduled to reopen on Saturday, September 7, 2019.

The Rec. Center has been closed, with the exception of the outdoor track, since July 26 for upgrades including replacement of the gym floor.

A dedication ceremony for the upgraded facility will be held on Thursday, September 12 at 12 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

Aycock Rec. Center is located at 307 Carey Chapel Rd in Henderson.

Neal Goddard Named Rebuilding Hope’s Sept. Spotlight Volunteer

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-Information courtesy Rebuilding Hope, Inc. 

Volunteer Neal Goddard came to Rebuilding Hope in a very practical way. “Rebuilding Hope built me a ramp when I had knee surgery in 2014,” Neal says. “I came by to see the facility. I heard a lot of great news about how Rebuilding Hope helped a lot of people.”

Neal Goddard named Rebuilding Hope’s September 2019 Volunteer of the Month. (Photo Credit: RHI)

On another occasion, when he requested help to replace his roof, a volunteer asked if he would like to help the ministry. “I said yes and am so glad I did,” the Williamston, NC, native says.

Neal has volunteered a day a week for about a year taking applications. “Every time someone fills out an application for a ramp because of a medical reason and it’s built by volunteers, it does my heart good,” Neal says. “I would encourage others to volunteer to see how you love the work and the other volunteers who help you. God will bless you.”

A member of New Sandy Creek Baptist Church, he is a member of the calling committee and a member and past president of Baptist Men.

Neal and his late wife Lori have two children and three grandchildren, with one on the way. In his leisure time, Neal says he enjoys reading the word of God, watching sports, gardening and learning about and growing flowers.

VGCC Holds Convocation to Start New Academic Year

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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Vance-Granville Community College recently held its annual fall convocation to bring faculty and staff together for a kick-off to the new academic year.

Much of the event focused on a discussion of student success. Special guests for the convocation were representatives of “Achieving the Dream” (ATD), a national education reform organization designed to assist community colleges with improving student success. VGCC joined the ATD network of colleges in 2018.

ATD Leadership Coach Dr. Joanne Bashford and ATD Data Coach Dr. Linda Hagedorn presented information about the college’s progress in moving the needle on student success in the past six months.

VGCC Director of Planning & Research Julie Hicks and English faculty member Frankie Frink provided their colleagues with updates on key data points and forms of support to address the needs of students who are food insecure, respectively.

VGCC’s participation in Achieving the Dream and the leadership of Dr. Rachel Desmarais, who became college president earlier this year, have caused the college to place a greater emphasis on data related to teaching and learning, and equitable student outcomes for all.

Approximately 44 VGCC faculty and staff members serve on one of four ATD teams: the Core, Data, Communications, and Strategies teams. These teams will continue to work collaboratively throughout the fall semester to develop an Action Plan derived from the feedback and planning that took place during the fall convocation. This ATD Action Plan will be connected to the VGCC Strategic Plan.

“Convocation provided an opportunity for all new and returning faculty to learn more about the latest with ATD and provide feedback,” said Dr. Levy Brown, the college’s vice president of Learning, Student Engagement & Success. “We are committed to equitable student outcomes, which ultimately impact student success.”

The event also included the opportunity to recognize VGCC employees who have recently hit milestones by completing five, 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30 years of service.

“As we mark the 50th anniversary of Vance-Granville Community College’s service to the community, we celebrate the dedicated people who have made the college a wonderful place to work and learn, while we also look ahead to the future through the Achieving the Dream program,” said Dr. Desmarais.

Wildcats Softball to Host 220 Seafood Fundraiser

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-Information and photo courtesy Amanda Pegram, Wildcats Softball 

The Wildcats Softball team will hold a fundraiser at 220 Seafood Restaurant in Henderson on Monday, September 9, 2019, from 4 to 7 p.m.

$7.00 per plate. Eat-in or take out.

Dinner includes fried trout, french fries, coleslaw and hushpuppies. Drink included for eat-in only. Glad to serve walk-ins.

Proceeds will be used to fund tournaments and purchase needed equipment.

Please help support this great group of girls from Granville, Vance, Warren, and Halifax counties.

(This is not a paid advertisement)

VCRFM Memorial Garden

Join the Master Gardener Volunteers for a Fall Gardening Symposium

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-Information courtesy Paul McKenzie, Agricultural Extension Agent, Vance/Warren Counties

Join the Master Gardener℠ volunteers of Vance/Warren Counties on Saturday, October 5, 2019, for their fall Gardening Symposium, which will be held in historic Warrenton, NC.

The symposium will feature Brie Arthur, author of The Foodscape Revolution. Brie studied Landscape Design and Horticulture at Purdue University and since has worked as a grower, propagator, author, and correspondent on the Growing A Greener World show on PBS. She has a passion for sustainable, local food production and will share advice on how to practice this in your own backyard, with an emphasis on native plants.

The presentation by Brie Arthur will take place at 1 p.m. in the Warren County Courthouse. Registration is $20 and may be submitted by downloading a registration form from https://go.ncsu.edu/foodscapewarren.

As a special bonus, the Master Gardener volunteers are partnering with Preservation Warrenton to offer a free walking tour of historic downtown starting at 10 a.m. that morning, which will highlight many fascinating stories from the town’s past. The tour will end in plenty of time for folks to enjoy downtown shopping and dining before heading over to the Courthouse for the 1 p.m. main event.

For more information, call the NC Cooperative Extension office for Warren County at 252-257-3640, or email paul_mckenzie@ncsu.edu.