Hurricane Awareness

The 2015 Atlantic Hurricane Season continues until November 30th. Are you prepared?

The Atlantic hurricane season begins on June 1st of each year and ends on November 30th.  The Vance County Office of Emergency Operations wants to make sure that you and your family are prepared for whatever this season brings our way.

Tropical cyclones are among nature’s most powerful and destructive phenomena. If you live in an area prone to tropical cyclones, you need to be prepared. Even areas well away from the coastline can be threatened by dangerous flooding, destructive winds and tornadoes from these storms. The National Hurricane Center issues watches, warnings, forecasts, and analyses of hazardous tropical weather.vancecoemergencyoperations

Each year, Dr. William Gray and his team at Colorado State University produce a report that contains information on the projected outlook for the upcoming season. This year is forecast to be an average year according to Hurricane Experts.
“We anticipate that the 2015 Atlantic basin hurricane season will be one of the least active seasons since the middle of the 20th century. It appears quite likely that an El Niño of at least moderate strength will develop this summer and fall. The tropical and subtropical Atlantic are also quite cool at present. We anticipate a below-average probability for major hurricanes making landfall along the United States coastline and in the Caribbean. Despite the forecast for below-average activity, coastal residents are reminded that it only takes one hurricane making landfall to make it an active season for them. They should prepare the same for every season, regardless of how much activity is predicted”. Dr. William M. Gray, Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University.

The Atlantic Basin Seasonal Hurricane Forecast for 2015 is as follows:

“The time to prepare is now, well out in front of peak hurricane season.” Keep in mind that it only takes one storm to cause significant impact. Communities and individuals are expected to be self sufficient for a minimum of 72 hours (3 days) following the impact of a hurricane. “If the impact is severe enough, it may potentially take outside help that long to get here”, Short said. “By taking the time to gather up a few basic necessities now, you will enable your family to weather the storm and the aftermath until help can arrive.”

In the event that a storm should threaten our area, The Vance County Emergency Operations staff will get important information will keep the public informed of our preparedness activities. Like us on Facebook to stay up to date on severe weather and coordination activities.

Smart phone users can also download a free app from ReadyNC.org. This app provides a great deal of information regarding storm preparedness as well as current road conditions, local weather, power outages and storm shelters that are open just to name a few. Follow the link below to get this free app.

https://www.readync.org/EN/DOWNLOADAPP.html

For more information about how you and your family can prepare for severe weather including hurricanes visit our visit our website at: https://www.vancecounty.org/departments/emergency-operations/

While you’re there, be sure to visit our community alert and notification section to sign up for CODE RED, our emergency alert and notification system. NOTE: if you have a land line phone you are most likely already in the CODE RED system. Please add your cell phone if you would like to receive real time alerts on your mobile phone or device. Or visit Vance County Emergency Operations on Facebook. You can also call our office at 252-438-8264.

2015 Tropical Storm Names for the Atlantic Region

Attached is a detailed list of general preparedness items that are recommended to have on hand going into hurricane season.

Recommended Family Preparedness Items

The best time to assemble a three-day emergency supplies kit is well before you will ever need it. Most people already have these items around the house and it is a matter of assembling them now before an evacuation or State of Emergency order is issued. Stocking up now on emergency supplies can add to your family’s safety and comfort during and after a disaster. Store enough supplies for at least three days, preferably seven days, in one place.

Start with an easy to carry, water tight container – a large plastic trash can will do, or line a sturdy cardboard box with a couple of trash bags. Next gather up the following items and place them in your kit:

Essentials
• Water -1 gallon per person per day (a week’s supply of water is preferable)
• Water purification kit or bleach
• First aid kit and first aid book
• Pre-cooked, non-perishable foods, such as canned meats, granola bars, instant soup & cereals, etc.
• Baby supplies: formula, bottle, pacifier, soap, baby powder, clothing, blankets, baby wipes, disposable diapers, canned food and juices
• Non-electric can opener
• Anti-bacterial hand wipes or gel
• Blanket or sleeping bag per person
• Portable radio or portable TV and extra batteries
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Essential medications
• Extra pair of eyeglasses
• Extra house and car keys
• Fire extinguisher -ABC-type
• Food, water, leash and carrier for pets
• Cash and change
• Seasonal change of clothing, including sturdy shoes

Sanitation Supplies
• Large plastic trash bags for waste, tarps and rain ponchos
• Large trash cans
• Bar soap and liquid detergent
• Shampoo
• Toothpaste and toothbrushes
• Feminine hygiene supplies
• Toilet paper
• Household bleach
• Rubber gloves
• Don’t forget your pets when getting prepared!!!

Henderson-Vance County Emergency Operations
156 Church Street Suite 002 Henderson, NC 27536
252-438-8264 Office
252-438-8145 Fax
252-492-0202 Comm. Center
Brian K. Short, Director

New Teacher Welcome Bags

Your help is needed to welcome new teachers to Vance County!  The Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce is putting together new teacher welcome bags.  Snacks, gum, candy, water bottles, notepads, pens, pencils, coupons etc. are just a few of the things needed to pack in the bags.backtoschool

The H-V Chamber is seeking enough items to pack 140 bags. These bags will be distributed to new teachers at all Vance County Public schools, Kerr-Vance Academy, Henderson Collegiate, Vance Charter, and Crossroads Christian.

If you would like to make a donation, please contact Melanie Mann at 252-438-8414 or info@hendersonvance.org.

Deadline for donations is August 5th.

WIZS Shop Local Contest

Five & Under, Sam’s Furniture & Mattress Center, The Screen Master, Moody Brothers Jewelers, Postal Plus Business Center, City Tire, Dockside Seafood, Larry’s Service Company, Hometown Hardware, and WIZS Radio have teamed up to reward listeners in Vance County and the surrounding area for
spending their dollars locally.

These nine businesses have embarked on a marketing program that rewards their own customers.

Each week for 12 weeks, on Friday afternoons, WIZS staff members draw either a receipt or the back of a WIZS decal from a large blue bucket hidden safely somewhere inside the radio station.

You can get your decal from any of the nine participating businesses or WIZS Radio itself. All you need to do is put the information on the back of the decal, and apply the sticker on the back of your vehicle’s bumper or glass window. That way, there is no purchase necessary for you to enter.

However, when you shop at one of these nine locations simply drop your receipt in a sand bucket at the location. You can put as 11751186_10205867226132111_1008528664_nmany receipts in the bucket as you like, but you still need the decal on the back of your vehicle. Otherwise, we cannot hand you $145 cash.

Shop locally, and you could win $145. The odds are much better than playing the lottery.

Contest rules for the Shop Local Contest are in the top Menu under Contests.

Vance County Friday Night Football is on the air…

Local Vance County high school football will return soon.  The first game for both Northern Vance and Southern Vance is Friday, August 21.  For more than 50 straight years, WIZS 1450 AM has broadcast high school football live.  The games are also broadcast live on wizs.com.

Northern Vance High School and Southern Vance High School will meet each other in the Optimist Bowl on Friday night, September 4, at 7:00pm.  The gridiron match up will take place at Viking Stadium this season.  Although the two schools previously played the bowl as the regular season finale, and did so since Southern opened its doors in the fall of 1990, the game has been played the last couple of years much earlier in the schedule because they are no longer in the same conference.

FNF2The Vikings have a new football coach this season.  Cory Lea has had his squad participating in 7-on-7 games already.

The Raiders Athletic Director, Joseph Sharrow, has just completed his first year at the helm.  Sharrow recently told The Daily Dispatch newspaper that he never missed a home sporting event in his first year nor did he miss a single away football or basketball game.  Sharrow is multi-talented and has an obvious hands-on approach.  He filled in as an announcer a couple of times last year for WIZS as well.

2015 Northern Vance Varsity FB Sched

2015 Southern Vance Varsity FB Sched

 

Henderson-Vance Night Out Against Crime

The Henderson-Vance Night Out Against Crime is coming up on Tuesday, August 4th on Breckenridge Street in downtown Henderson between the Henderson Police Department and the Perry Memorial Library. The event starts at 5:00 p.m. and will wrap up at about 8:00 p.m.

As always, there will be free hot dogs, drinks, and t-shirts.

In a community that normally receives a fair amount of negative attention, the Henderson-Vance Night Out Against Crime is something that many area residents look forward to.

460x460-vance-county-seal

Sponsoring Agencies for the Night Out Against Crime are the Henderson Police Department, Vance County Sheriff’s Office, Vance County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council, F.V.W Opportunity Inc., and Vance County Schools.

Participating Agencies are as followed:

North Carolina Highway Patrol
North Carolina Kerr Lake Parks & Recreation
Vance Granville Community College Campus Police Department
North Carolina Forestry Service
North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement
Henderson Fire Department
Vance County Emergency Services
Henderson-Vance Recreation Department, Youth Services & Teen Court
Vance County Rescue Squad
Henderson-Vance Community Watch Association
Henderson-Vance Crime Stoppers
Cardinal Innovations Healthcare Solutions
Duke Trauma Ground Unit and Helicopter
Vance County Public School Nurses & Social Workers
Vance County School Bus Safety
Safe Kids Henderson-Vance Coalition
Chuck Elgin & Sharon Elgin
North Carolina Department of Public Safety of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice
South Henderson Pentecostal Holiness Church Band
ACTS of Vance County
911 Emergency Management
Vance County Dentition Center
Ruin Creek Animal Protection Society
Henderson Family YMCA Stride
Girls on the Run Northern North Carolina
H. Leslie Perry Memorial Library
F-G-V Smart Start Inc.
The Daily Dispatch
Vance County Department of Social Services
Children’s Services & Foster Care & Adoption
Royall Harris Character Antics
United Way of Vance County
Chick-fil-A of Henderson
Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education
Kittrell Job Corp Center
Wal-Mart Distribution 6091
Boys & Girls Club North Central North Carolina
Infinite Possibilities Inc.
Vance Gang Awareness Partnership
Vance County School Dropout Prevention
Aaron’s
Vance County Schools TRU-Swat Tobacco Prevention
Youth Villages
Vance County Child Support Unit
Vance Granville Community College
US Food Service
Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce
Vance County Senior Center
Kesler Temple A.M.E Zion Church
Vance County Parenting Education Program
Vance County 4H Program
WIZS Radio

Henderson Optimist Club Respect for Law Banquet

On the night of Tuesday, July 28th the Henderson Optimist Club celebrated the accomplishments of local law enforcement and other public servants. Tommy Farmer, John Pecora, Britt Sams, and other Henderson Optimist Club members presented awards and spoke to members and recipients at the Respect for Law Banquet.

Brandon Logue was awarded Henderson Police Officer of the year, and was escorted by Chief Marcus Barrow. David Stanley was presented with the Henderson Firefighter of the year plaque, and was accompanied by Fire Chief Danny Wilkerson. Myron Alexander was credited with Vance County Deputy of year, and partnered with Sheriff Peter White for a short speech to the Optimist Club members. Joseph Thomas was awarded North Carolina State Highway Trooper of the Year, and was accompanied by 1st Sergeant Joseph Gaskins.

11791849_10205977829857135_1148465133_n(Officer Brandon Lougue receiving his award)

John O’Neal was awarded Vance County Firefighter of the year, and Charles Shelton was presented with a plaque for Kerr Lake Park Ranger of the year.

In many cases, these community servants do not get many “thank yous”. The next time you see one of these individuals or a representative of their respective organization take the time to thank them for what they do. They collectively make Vance County a better place to live, work, and have a little fun.

To find out more about the Henderson Optimist Club, log on to https://www.henderson-optimists.org/.

New School Year Starting

According to the Vance County Schools website, the new public school year for 2015-2016 will officially start with the beginning of classes for students on Thursday, August 6, at the Vance County Early College High School located on the campus of Vance-Granville Community College near Henderson.

Vance County Schools (NVHS Choir)

Teachers and other 10-month employees begin work for the new school year at the Early College on Monday, August 3.

The Early College High School has students who take college level courses at the community college and their schedule must closely follow the schedule of the college.

All other Vance County Schools begin classes for students on Monday, August 24.

New teachers and other new employees for the school system report to work on Monday, August 10. They will be welcomed to the school system at a breakfast held at 8 a.m. in the cafeteria of Northern Vance High School. New employees will participate in orientation sessions August 10-12. All school system employees will attend a breakfast and convocation on Thursday, August 13, at Northern Vance High School. The breakfast will begin at 7:30 a.m. in the school’s cafeteria and the convocation will follow at 8:30 a.m. in the gymnasium. Friday, August 14, is a mandatory workday for all employees and Monday, August 17, through Thursday, August 20, also are mandatory workdays. Friday, August 21, is a teacher workday.

On Thursday, August 20, open house sessions will be held at all schools, except Early College High School, from 3 to 7 p.m.

New Vance Schools Superintendent Starts Aug 1

The Vance County Board of Education Tuesday night, July 21, 2015, voted unanimously to appoint Dr. Anthony “Tony” Jackson as the new superintendent of Vance County Schools.

He will begin his duties as superintendent on August 1.

Dr. Jackson’s career in public education spans 27 years in several districts in both North Carolina and Virginia. He began his teaching career in Wake County. He has served as a principal at all three levels in rural, suburban and urban districts. He also has been an associate superintendent and an executive director of curriculum and instruction.Untitled-2

Dr. Jackson became the superintendent of Henry County Public Schools in Virginia before he was chosen as superintendent for Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools, a position he served in for the last four years. He is described by an experienced, long-serving member of his past board as “passionate about his work and wanting to make sure the kids get the best education they can get.” He led the 1:1 digital learning initiative for students in grades 4-12 to facilitate 21st Century learning methods and the development of a comprehensive 10-year capital improvement facility plan. During his tenure in Nash-Rocky Mount, the school system had increases in Algebra I enrollment and in the on-time cohort graduation rate and a decrease in the dropout rate. Dr. Jackson also successfully completed the school system’s first reassignment process in over 20 years.

He was named the Central Carolina Regional Education Service Alliance 2013-2014 Superintendent of the Year. The region encompasses several neighboring counties including Wake, Durham, Nash, Edgecombe, Franklin, Vance, Granville, Johnston, Wilson, Halifax and Northampton. In November of that year, he was one of seven finalists for the North Carolina Superintendent of the Year.

Dr. Jackson has a Bachelor of Science degree in music education from East Carolina University, a master’s degree in educational leadership from N.C. Central University and a doctorate degree in education from Walden University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He serves on the boards of the local Boys and Girls Clubs, the United Way, the Rocky Mount Chamber of Commerce, the Nashville Arts Council and the Braswell Library Board of Trustees. He also holds membership in the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

He has two adult children and his hobbies include singing and playing the piano.

The Vance County Board of Education wanted the next superintendent to be a person who: makes the tough decisions in the education of children in Vance County Schools; is active in the community; is self-motivated; is an advocate for resources; genuinely likes children; and wants the best for children. During the search process, the board carefully reviewed applications and supporting documentation from a field of 23 candidates from six states. The board is confident that Dr. Jackson meets the needs of Vance County Schools and that he will work with the board to lead the school system to even higher achievements.

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Jackson as the new superintendent of Vance County Schools and as a new member of our community. We hope that you will be as pleased as we are to have him as our next superintendent. We also hope the community at large will welcome him here as he moves Vance County Schools to the next level.

Vance County Schools – Donations from Staples

The management and employees of the Staples Fulfillment Center on Poplar Creek Road in Vance County have donated approximately $12,000 worth of school supplies to Vance County Schools.

Representatives of the school system and Staples are shown in the accompanying photo with the four pallets of items donated after they were delivered to the Vance County Staples DonationsSchools’ Purchasing and Distribution Center. Shown in the photo are, from left, E.T. Newby, lead warehouseman for the school system; Kerri Williams, inventory control supervisor for Staples; Silka Boone, purchasing coordinator for the school system; and David Person, Staples Fulfillment Center manager. The donations of school supplies are part of the Staples center’s annual Donation Program, led by a team of employees.

Williams said that three key Staples employees, Gary Johnson, Tigkin Richardson and Sandra Murray, all Vance County residents, were instrumental in getting the donations for use by students in Vance County Schools.

The donated supplies include a wide range of notebook paper, file folders, project folders, composition books, three-ring binders, pens, pencils and more.

“Our school system is so appreciative of the wonderful generosity of Staples in supporting our students,” said Terri Hedrick, public information officer for Vance County Schools. “Staples has been a great partner for our school system over the years. All of the school supplies will be put to great use by our students in all 17 of our schools for the new school year.”

Vance County PAGE Scholarships

The Vance County Partners for the Advancement of Gifted Education (PAGE) has announced three graduating seniors from Northern Vance and Southern Vance high schools have been awarded scholarships for the 2014-2015 school year. The scholarship recipients are shown in the accompanying photo holding the plaques that bear their names and will hang in their respectivPAGE Scholarshipse schools. The students include, from left, Chris Pendergrass, who won the Jerold P. Murdock Memorial Scholarship; Moriah Davis, who won the Top Graduate from Southern Vance High School Scholarship; and Ray Cheever, who won the Top Graduate from Northern Vance High School Scholarship. Pendergrass received the Murdock scholarship, worth $500, as the top graduate from all high schoolsin Vance County. Davis and Cheever represent the best in their respective graduating classes. Their scholarships are valued at $250 each. All three scholarship winners were honored at a reception hosted by Vance County PAGE on June 9, in the Vance County Schools’ Administrative Services Center.