Rebuilding Hope Names Tom Hall May’s Spotlight Volunteer

-Information courtesy Rebuilding Hope, Inc. 

Tom Hall’s contribution to Rebuilding Hope’s work touches every aspect of the ministry, from ramps to roofs, renovations to records.

Tom keeps the computers running.

He signed on as a volunteer three years ago when Martha McGowan, RHI’s SOS secretary, told him about the ministry’s computer needs.

Tom Hall named Rebuilding Hope’s May 2019 Volunteer of the Month. (Photo Credit: RHI)

“I’ve built or refurbished 12 work station computers (for RHI),” says the retired IBM system programmer. He’s also built, implemented and donated a server (with help from his son, Greg, Microsoft Certified) for the ministry.

“The opportunity to support the other volunteers with computer needs, and they, in turn, help others in need is the most rewarding part of my work,” said Tom, a native of Penderlea (Willard, N.C.).

Tom said his computer experience keeps him busy as a volunteer.

“Currently, I provide volunteer computer support to five churches. I also provide computer support to some 104 private individuals, three businesses and one fire department.”

Tom, a Vance County resident, is a member of Swift Creek Baptist Church in Raleigh, but locally attends services at First Baptist Church.

Tom and wife Linda have been married for 20 years. They have two children and five grandchildren.

2019 National Day of Prayer Noon Service Audio

2019 National Day of Prayer Service held from 12 noon until 12:30 p.m. at Henderson City Hall.

City of Henderson Logo

URGENT: Boil Water Notice Issued for Parts of Dabney Drive and Beckford Drive

Water customers of the City of Henderson in the Dabney Drive area are experiencing periods of low pressure and outages in the distribution system due to a line break, according a news release. The news release says periods of low or no pressure in the distribution system increases the potential for back siphoning and introduction of bacteria into the water system.

Repair of the broken line is expected to be complete by 8:00 this evening.

The release continues: “Therefore, the Division of Water Resources advises that when water is restored, consumers boil all water used for human consumption (including drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes and food preparation) or use bottled water.”

Public Works Director for Henderson, Andy Perkinson, told WIZS News, “The people affected would be Dabney Drive from Coble Blvd. to Beckford Drive.  And Beckford Drive down past the Farmers Market.”

Henderson City Manager Frank Frazier confirmed, as well, that the boil water advisory was only for those affected by the water line break.  The boil water advisory is not for everyone.

To be on the safe side, if you experience low water pressure in the next 24 hours in the affected or surrounding area, you may want to boil your water as well.

Vigorous boiling for one (1) minute should kill any disease-causing organisms that may be present in the water, the news release says.

Public Works is strongly urging water consumers to conserve water whenever possible. This advisory remains in effect until further written notification is issued.

This advisory was issued on May 1, 2019 by Andy Perkinson, Public Works Director, City of Henderson.

WIZS Celebrates 64 Years of Informing & Entertaining the Community!

John Charles Rose, owner and operator of WIZS, was on Town Talk this morning to announce this day, May 1, 2019, as the 64th anniversary of the local radio station.

On May 1, 1955, Howard V. Harrell, a tv and radio repairman from Oxford, started the station under the call letters WHVH – his initials. The station has been on the air continuously ever since bringing the community local news, sports, music and entertainment.

The call letters were changed to WIZS around 1959, shortly after the station was sold to Stan Fox and his business partners Irv Fox and Seymour Dworsky.

Rose Farm & Rentals purchased WIZS and assumed operation on June 1, 1989, under president John D. Rose, III. A month from today, the Rose family will celebrate 30 years of WIZS ownership.

“Our continuing commitment to the community and the radio staff have made it possible for us to celebrate 64 years as a station,” said Rose. “The various personalities, the various people who are very good at their jobs, and of course our loyal advertising base have all made it possible.”

Rose reminded listeners that news is free and available 24/7 at www.wizs.com and on WIZS’ social media pages.

For the last 30 years, local news has been broadcast on air on 1450AM, as well as on the more recently licensed translator 100.1 FM, at 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily; mid-day news has been reported at various times throughout the years. News has been on the air at set times since day one of operation.

WIZS’ online presence grew exponentially in 2018 with 100,000 people visiting the website and daily additions of viewers who like and/or follow the station on Facebook and Twitter.

Putting the “community” in the locally owned and operated community radio station, WIZS offers approximately 250 public service announcements free of charge each month to non-profit organizations, schools, churches and government institutions. PSAs can be submitted and viewed online at any time by clicking here.

Rose also reminded listeners of the current weekday station schedule, including a mix of news, music, sports, talk and entertainment:

“Weekday Wakeup with Brandi Leigh” from 6 – 9 a.m.

Music from 9 – 11 a.m.

“Town Talk” at 11 a.m.

“Tradio” at 11:30 a.m.

“Beach Music Blast” with Trey Snide at 12 p.m.

“Sports Mayhem” with Kemp Collins at 1 p.m.

Music from 2 – 4 p.m.

“Afternoon Drive” with John Stevenson at 4 p.m.

Weekend programs include “Country Grass” with Ms. Velvet from 7 – 9 a.m. and “Choice Country Classics” from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Saturday afternoon brings a mix of Country, Beach and Oldies music for your listening pleasure.

Robert Wright provides live news, local church happenings and gospel music on Sunday mornings from 7 – 11 a.m. in a segment titled “Sounds of Jordan.” This is followed by Ms. Velvet’s “Sunday Afternoon Gospel Jamboree,” a popular variety of Country, Bluegrass and Gospel music, from 12 – 2 p.m.

“Thanks for listening to WIZS,” Rose concluded his segment. “We’re proud to know you, we’re proud to try to help you, we’re proud to try to do good things for you and we’re proud you’ve chosen to make WIZS your home on the radio.”

 To hear the Town Talk segment with John Charles Rose in its entirety, click here.

Walser Wins T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing Tournament at Kerr Lake

-Press Release, FLW

Boater Robert Walser of Lexington, North Carolina, brought five bass to the weigh-in stage totaling 15 pounds, 10 ounces, to win Saturday’s T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) North Carolina Division tournament on Kerr Lake. For his efforts, Walser took home $5,718.

“I fished flooded bushes and trees, mid-lake, along an approximately 20-mile stretch,” said Walser, who logged his 12th career win in BFL competition – tied for second most all-time. “I used a spinnerbait early, and then I flipped.”

Walser said he used a ½-ounce white-colored Rush Lures double-willow-bladed spinnerbait with a chartreuse and silver glitter Zoom Split Tail trailer on 20-pound-test Berkley Big Game line. He flipped a green-pumpkin Zoom Baby Brush Hog with a 3/0-sized Berkley Fusion 19 EWG hook and a 3/8-ounce Eco Pro tungsten flipping weight. For flipping, he opted for 20-pound-test Berkley Trilene 100-percent fluorocarbon line.

Boater Robert Walser of Lexington, North Carolina, brought five bass to the weigh-in stage totaling 15 pounds, 10 ounces, to win Saturday’s T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) North Carolina Division tournament on Kerr Lake. For his efforts, Walser took home $5,718. (Photo courtesy FLW)

“I caught more than 30 keepers. It was hard initially, but after it warmed up it got easier,” said Walser. “We had a severe cold front come through Friday afternoon and the temperatures dropped rapidly – maybe 20 degrees in 30 minutes. It rained following the temperature change, so we had a few hours of cold rain. I think it had an effect on the fish I was targeting, but after noontime I caught four or five limits.”

Walser said he ended up weighing one off the spinnerbait, and the rest from the Brush Hog.

“Some of those spinnerbait fish in the morning were at those deeper bushes, and my Garmin Panoptix showed me the submerged bushes I couldn’t see, which really helped me out,” said Walser.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Robert Walser, Lexington, N.C., five bass, 15-10, $3,718 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus

2nd:         Dustin Clontz, Albemarle, N.C., five bass, 14-8, $1,909

3rd:          Jake Frye, Charlotte, N.C., five bass, 14-0, $1,388

4th:          Scott Beattie, Lincolnton, N.C., five bass, 13-10, $898

5th:          Scott Hamrick, Denver, N.C., five bass, 13-8, $655

5th:          Randy Childers, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 13-8, $805

7th:          Jason Wilson, Lincolnton, N.C., five bass, 13-6, $990

8th:          Carson Orellana, Mooresville, N.C., five bass, 13-0, $513

9th:          Michael Stephens, Gastonia, N.C., five bass, 12-8, $456

10th:        Ryan Deal, Indian Trail, N.C., five bass, 12-7, $399

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Wilson caught a 5-pound, 1-ounce bass – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $420.

Jeff Scism of Shelby, North Carolina, won the Co-angler Division and $1,709 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 12 pounds, 5 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1st:          Jeff Scism, Shelby, N.C., five bass, 12-5, $1,709

2nd:         Larry Freeman Jr., La Crosse, Va., five bass, 12-3, $1,105

3rd:          Wayne Smelser, Rural Retreat, Va., five bass, 11-1, $620

4th:          Charles Wood, Thomasville, N.C., four bass, 10-15, $609

5th:          Maverick Canipe, Kings Mountain, N.C., five bass, 10-1, $342

6th:          Dwayne Parton, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 9-13, $413

7th:          Mark Murphy, Salisbury, N.C., five bass, 9-12, $285

8th:          Barry Burford, Charlotte, N.C., five bass, 9-11, $256

9th:          Grant McPeters, Marion, N.C., four bass, 9-10, $228

10th:        John Cook, Matthews, N.C., five bass, 9-9, $199

Wood caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 4 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $210.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 10-12 BFL Regional Championship on Lake Hartwell in Seneca, South Carolina, presented by Navionics. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518L with a 200-horsepower outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518L with a 200-horsepower outboard.

The T-H Marine FLW BFL North Carolina Division tournament on Kerr Lake was hosted by the Vance County Tourism Development Authority.

The 2019 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American.

The 2019 BFL All-American will be held May 30-June 1 at the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland, and is hosted by the Charles County Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism and the Commissioners of Charles County. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League on FLW’s social media outlets at FacebookTwitterInstagram, and YouTube.

VGCC Student Receives Top Academic Honor

-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Vance-Granville Community College has named student Hope Crute of Youngsville as its recipient of the North Carolina Community College System’s Academic Excellence Award for 2019. One student from each of the 58 colleges in the state system is honored with the award each year.

Crute will be officially recognized at Commencement in May when she is scheduled to graduate from the college with both an Associate in Arts and an Associate in Science. Not long afterward, she is set to graduate from Franklin County Early College High School. That challenging five-year program, along with the guidance and support of teachers and peers, has helped her develop into the person she is today.

Hope Crute of Youngsville is the VGCC recipient of the North Carolina Community College System Academic Excellence Award for 2019. (VGCC Photo)

“Vance-Granville Community College is a school that successfully brings together ambitious, hard-working students who encourage one another and challenge each other to do better academically and professionally,” Crute said. “The magical thing I have found as a student at VGCC is that the school does not just teach academic lessons, but also life lessons.”

Crute has excelled in the classroom while also taking on numerous responsibilities at home to help her family as they dealt with her father’s serious health issues. She has served as a peer tutor in the VGCC Academic Skills Center and has been inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society for community college students, as well as the National Honor Society at the high school level.

Crute plans to transfer to UNC-Chapel Hill in the fall to complete a bachelor’s degree in a scientific field.

“Hope’s determination and dedication to academic success have earned her recognition as one of North Carolina’s outstanding community college students,” said Dr. Rachel Desmarais, the president of VGCC.

“Thanks to her experience at Vance-Granville and at Franklin County Early College, Hope now enters the next stage of her education equipped with confidence, clarity, enhanced skills, and a thirst for further knowledge.”

Faith Dove

Emmanuel Community Church to Hold ‘Family & Friends Day’ This Sun.

-Information courtesy Emmanuel Community Church

The community is invited to attend Emmanuel Community Church’s “Community Church, Family and Friends Day” on Sunday, May 5, 2019, at 11 a.m.

Presiding over the program will be Bishop William C. Harrison and Bishop Rhonda Hanks.

Speakers include Evangelist Vernice H. Wilson, Williamsboro; Evangelist Bernice Hargrove, Henderson; Evangelist Deborah Harrison, Manson; Evangelist Lucille Harris, Gillburg; Evangelist Carolyn Hargrove, Gillburg; and Reverend Emmanuel Marrow, Henderson.

The Emmanuel Community Church Choir and William C. & the Anointed of Henderson, NC, will also be in attendance.

For more information, please contact Bishop William C. Harrison, Jr. (252) 456-2923 or (252) 213-0011.

The church is located at 216 Chestnut Alley St. (turn on Oakhill St.) in Henderson.

Home and Garden 04/30/19

130 Vance Co. Educators Expected to Attend State Rally; Schools Closed May 1

Educators and school staff from across North Carolina will gather at a planned protest in downtown Raleigh on Wednesday, May 1, 2019.

The N.C. Association of Educators’ Rally for Public Education participants will ask legislators for increased funding for the hiring of additional support staff, the reinstatement of retirement health benefits and advanced degree compensation and an increase in the minimum wage for hourly employees.

A high number of leave requests for the day led some local school systems, including Vance and Franklin County, to declare May 1 a holiday for students and an optional workday for teachers.

Terri Hedrick, public information officer for Vance County Schools, told WIZS that of the school system’s 900 employees, 130 requested leave to attend the rally. While rally participants account for only 14% of overall staff, Hedrick said, “Those asking off are in classrooms and are vital to student instruction.”

In a recent press release, Vance County Schools stated that Superintendent Anthony Jackson recommended the school day change and the Vance County Board of Education approved the holiday in an effort to support public school educators.

The missed instruction day for students will not be made up.

The VCS press release explained, “While it is always important for students to be in school and learning, school system officials believe that our extended school day times at all grade levels this school year will be sufficient for student instruction even with the missed day on May 1. The school day was extended for the 2018-2019 school year by about 15 minutes at the elementary, middle and high school levels.”

Hedrick stated that the majority of employees at the system office will be at work tomorrow – including Dr. Jackson – and do not currently have plans to attend the “Day of Action” rally.

In a message sent to NC public schools earlier this month, State Superintendent Mark Johnson encouraged educators to find alternative ways of voicing their concerns.

His message read, in part:

“I encourage discussions about different ideas and opinions. Your voice is crucial. I want you to know why I cannot agree with one group’s proposal to encourage schools to close on May 1.

Weather hit us hard this year, and I do not want to encourage any more students missing any more school days. It’s not good for students’ academic and nutritional needs, or for our bus drivers and some other non-certified staff, who may miss scheduled work hours and, as a result, pay.”

As an alternative, Johnson suggested that educators take action on a day when schools were not in session, such as the week of spring break. Spring break for many NC schools concluded last week.

Vance County Board of Education member Ruth Hartness expressed her support for local educators participating in the rally.

“They have an issue and they have to voice it in some way,” said Hartness. “I agree with them. I see no harm in it and it may do some good. Hopefully, the legislature will listen to these folks and something will come through that will be to their liking.”

In the meantime, Hartness said she believes the school system does a good job of educating the community with its current resources.

“The answer to many of the issues is more money from the legislature for schools. We are doing the best we can with the money that we have been given.”

Henderson Police Department

HPD: Forced Entry at Deer Crossing Court; Resident Injured

-Press Release, Henderson Police Department

On Saturday the 27th of April 2019, around 10:45 p.m., four individuals forced entry to the residence of Adrian Burwell (40) and Rageane Watson (24) at 1422 Deer Crossing Court. Once inside, the suspects searched the residence. It was reported that nothing was taken from the residence.

During the apparent robbery, Rageane Watson was struck by a discharged firearm. Ms. Watson was treated and transported to an area medical facility for further treatment where her condition is listed as stable.

Our investigation into this matter is still ongoing and it should be noted this incident does not appear to be random. This is all of the information we can disclose at this time.

As we follow up on leads, we strongly encourage anyone with information to contact the Henderson Police Department at 252-438-4141, or through Crime Stoppers at 252-492-1925. You can also contact us through Facebook Messenger, or the Henderson-Vance Crime Stoppers P3 app.

Authority: Chief M.W. Barrow