Runoff Election Coverage

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WIZS NEWS IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE…WE WILL PROVIDE LIVE COVERAGE OF THE TUESDAY RUNOFF ELECTION HERE IN HENDERSON.  NOT ONLY WILL COVERAGE BE AVAILABLE AT 1450 AM, BUT YOU CAN ALSO LISTEN LIVE ON WIZS.COM.  AND, FOR THE FIRST TIME, OUR SPREADSHEET WILL BE AVAILABLE ONLINE AS A LIVE DOCUMENT.  THAT MEANS, IF YOU GO TO WIZS.COM, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO FOLLOW THE RUNNING TOTALS AS WE ENTER THEM.  FOLLOWING THE OCTOBER MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, WHICH WERE VERY CLOSE, THERE IS A RUNOFF BETWEEN BRENDA PEACE AND MELISSA ELLIOTT FOR THE THIRD WARD AT LARGE SEAT ON THE HENDERSON CITY COUNCIL AND A RUNOFF BETWEEN CLARENCE J. DALE AND MARION BRODIE WILLIAMS FOR THE FIRST WARD WARD SEAT.  IF YOU ARE A CITY VOTER, YOUR TURN OUT TO VOTE IS NEEDED ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3.  AGAIN, LIVE ELECTION COVERAGE BEGINNING AT 7:30PM ON 1450 AM AND ON WIZS.COM.  WE WILL ALSO PROVIDE ELECTION RETURN INFORMATION FOR MIDDLEBURG AND KITTRELL.

VGCC opens Spring Registration, offers Orientation Sessions online and in-person

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Registration for classes and orientation sessions for new students have begun for the Spring 2016 semester at Vance-Granville Community College, which starts Monday, Jan. 11, 2016.

Attending an orientation session is required for all new students who wish to enroll in any of the college’s curriculum programs, and for students who are returning to VGCC after being away for three or more years. Students must also meet with an advisor or academic/career coach before registering for classes.

To attend an orientation session, a student must sign up in advance by visiting orientation.vgcc.edu.

VGCC now offers orientation in both an online and a traditional face-to-face format. In either format, orientation sessions help students learn where to find resources on campus or online, including how to register for classes through WebAdvisor. Many face-to-face orientation sessions still have slots available, and additional dates may be scheduled.

Orientation sessions scheduled for VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County include: Thursday, Nov. 12, at 2 p.m.; Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 9 a.m.; Tuesday, Dec. 8, at 9 a.m.; and Thursday, Jan. 7, at 2 p.m.

The Franklin County Campus near Louisburg has orientation sessions scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 5 p.m.; and Tuesday, Dec. 8, at 9 a.m.

Orientation sessions are scheduled at VGCC’s South Campus (between Creedmoor and Butner) on

Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 2 p.m.; Thursday, Nov. 19, at 9 a.m., Wednesday, Dec. 2, at 2 p.m.; and Thursday, Dec. 10, at 9 a.m.

Students who want to attend a face-to-face orientation session at the Warren County Campus in Warrenton should call (252) 257-1900 for more information.

Registration for fall classes opened Nov. 2 and closes on Dec. 16. College officials advise students to apply for admission and financial aid, attend orientation/advising, and register for classes as early as possible. The upcoming semester’s course schedule is now available online at schedules.vgcc.edu.

The tuition payment deadline is Wednesday, Dec. 16, by 5 p.m., if paying in person, or by Thursday, Dec. 31, by midnight, if paying online through WebAdvisor.

For more information, contact VGCC at studentsuccess@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3330, or visit any campus.

FINANCIAL AID AVAILABLE

Prospective students interested in seeking financial assistance are encouraged to immediately complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at www.fafsa.gov and to visit the VGCC Financial Aid Office.

Eligible students may receive Pell Grants ranging from $626 to $5,775. Students may also qualify for other college or state funds. The Financial Aid Office recommends completing the FAFSA and all financial aid documents by Dec. 11, 2015. In order for a student to charge tuition, fees, and books to financial aid awards, the application must be processed entirely prior to the tuition payment deadline of Dec. 31, 2015. Students with preschool-age children may receive financial assistance to help pay for child care, and applications for this help are also available at the Financial Aid Office.

Information about other resources is available online at financialaid.vgcc.edu.

For more details regarding financial assistance, visit the Financial Aid Office in Room 8215 on Main Campus or call (252) 738-3280.

HELP FOR VETERANS

Military veterans who wish to use their Veterans’ Education benefits may contact the Financial Aid Office at (252) 738-3224. Veterans should check with Financial Aid to see if the programs in which they are interested are covered.

Tourism in Vance

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October 16, 17 and 18, The Vance County Department of Tourism hosted the 14th Annual Show, Shine, Shag & Dine and The East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame & Reunion.  Tourism Director Nancy Wilson said the economic impact here was between $2.5 to $3.0 million.  That figure represents the amount of spending done while the show was here.

As tourism in Henderson and Vance County continues to develop, citizens here are not only left with positive things to do, but the tourism dollars left behind by our guests.  The hotel/motel taxes and retail sales taxes are huge to our County.  Also, tourism can spawn economic development and accelerate revitalization efforts in historic downtown areas.

Wilson said, “Everything went fine.  For the entire weekend, I think our numbers were pretty much the same as they have been.  I would say around 30,000.”  In terms of comparing that to shows in other towns the size of Henderson, Wilson said, “I don’t think there’s anyone who can compare.  We’re not a festival.  That’s not what we do.  It’s an event, a production.  The State Fair is about as close as I can get to the number of people at one location at one time.”

In speaking about the car owners and especially about the Hall of Fame Inductees, Wilson said, “These guys have got so much background in engineering, and they’re master mechanics.  They’ve worked with and in some of the top companies in the country, and they’re innovators.  They make an effort to travel here every year, and they love it.  They have so much to share.

“The East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame and Reunion event held at Vance Granville Community College on Sunday has been growing every year.”  Inducted for 2015 were: Sherwood Allen, Robert Bullard – posthumously, Ron Colson, Don Grotheer, Roy Hagadorn, Hasley Hood, Jr., Woodroe Josey, Jim Kerr, Jimmy King, Mike Kosky, Ed Kowalski, Frank LeSueur – posthumously, Larry Lombardo and Della Woods.

A lot of new money is spent in our area because of tourism and the marketing efforts outside this area and marketing in places known to draw visitors.  Anyone staying here spending money, it boosts the local economy.  In the summer, Vance County experiences a retail sales tax boost, and that Wilson said “has to come from our lake business because the City and County are not growing, so I don’t know how you could justify it any other way.”

In 2014, Vance County experienced a 2.97 percent growth in monies generated from tourism totaling $44.10 million.  This information according to the North Carolina Department of Commerce.  $5.84 million was the amount of payroll or money paid in Vance County because of tourism jobs.  The 2014 tax savings per resident in Vance County because of tourism was figured to be about $85.35.  Tax receipts were $1.28 million.

Wilson said, “Of course, every dollar we generate through tourism is a tax savings to our tax payers.”

The East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame is still in the works.  Land is owned.  Funds for the building are needed, and Wilson and the building committee are working on that right now.  That would be open year round and would be another point of interest for tourists coming to our area.

NCDMV

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NCDMV Issues Hundreds of Driver Licenses, ID Cards at State Fair

Raleigh, N.C. – With the help of two new compact mobile units and two kiosks, the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV) issued more than 450 driver licenses and identification cards during the 11-day run of the 2015 North Carolina State Fair, helping continue Governor Pat McCrory’s Driving Change initiative at NCDMV.

“The State Fair was the perfect setting to show people how much easier it is to get a driver’s license or ID card, particularly in remote areas,” Governor McCrory said.

Beginning October 15, fairgoers took advantage of the DMV booth at the fair to apply for their driver licenses and ID cards. NCDMV’s new mobile units issued fairgoers 337 licenses and ID cards; its new kiosks issued 132 licenses and cards, making a total 469 issuances.

The new mobile units are the first of their kind in the nation and contain all the equipment necessary for customers to apply for a driver license or ID card. They will be tested beginning in mid-November in three areas of the state before being rolled out to serve customers in remote areas all across the state.

The new units are compact, fitting side-by-side in an SUV. They will eventually replace the five RV-style units NCDMV had used in the past. The units are expected to increase the number of stops made by the units, allowing service to more than 36,000 customers across the state.

The new mobile units are among several initiatives at NCDMV, including online driver license renewals statewide that will decrease the number of customers who must visit a DMV office, the introduction of a more durable and secure driver license, and a new MyDMV portal that brings personal DMV services to customers.

Field Trip!!

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Approximately 80 students, school staff members and parents from Aycock Elementary School ate dinner at the Kanki Japanese restaurant at Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh, on September 24, as part of their trip to attend a men’s soccer game between N.C. State University and Gardner Webb University. They are all seen in the accompanying photo as they pose for photos outside of the restaurant. The trip proved to be a great experience for students and their families members who attended, as well as the school staff members. They attended the soccer game to specifically cheer on a former Aycock student, Lorenzo Ortiz, who is a starting forward for Gardner Webb. Hope Howard, physical education teacher at Aycock Elementary, organized the trip and received assistance from Principal Kristen Boyd and Assistant Principal David Cooper, who also participated in the event.

(Information provided by Vance County Schools Public Information Officer Terri Hedrick)

UNC ACC BB Favorite

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com)– North Carolina will enter the 2015-16 season as the Atlantic Coast Conference favorite, according to a vote of media in attendance at the league’s  annual “Operation Basketball.”

The Tar Heels, who return four starters from last year’s team that reached the finals of the ACC Tournament and the “Sweet 16” of the NCAAs, received 60 of 89 first-place votes in Wednesday’s preseason poll. In addition to point guard Marcus Paige, the Tar Heels will welcome back forwards Brice Johnson and Kennedy Meeks and sophomore guard Justin Jackson. Five additional players that saw significant playing time from last season’s 26-12 team are also set to return.

Virginia, which has won a total of 60 games over the past two seasons while claiming the 2014 ACC championship and placing atop the ACC regular-season standings in both 2014 and ’15, received 18 first-place votes and placed second in the overall preseason voting. Defending national champion Duke (eight first-place votes) placed third.

Defending ACC champion Notre Dame received one first-place and placed fourth, followed by Miami, Florida State (one first-place vote) and Louisville.

NC State placed eighth, while Syracuse received the remaining first-place vote and finished ninth. Pitt placed 10th, while Wake Forest, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Boston College rounded out the voting.

North Carolina senior guard Marcus Paige and Virginia senior guard Malcolm Brogdon were named Preseason ACC Co-Players of the Year after each received 36 votes among those casting ballots. Paige averaged 14.1 points and 4.5 assists last season while shooting .395 from 3-point range and .865 from the foul line. Brogdon (14.0 ppg) was a finalist for the 2015 John Wooden Award and was named a second-team All-American by four publications.

Duke freshman Brandon Ingram, a 6-foot-9, 190-pound swing man from Kinston, North Carolina, was the overwhelming choice as ACC Preseason Freshman of the Year on 82 of the ballots cast. Ingram averaged over 24 points and 10 rebounds as a high school senior and led Kinston High to four consecutive state titles.

Paige, Brogdon, Ingram, Florida State’s Xavier Rathan-Mayes and Notre Dame’s Demtrius Jackson were voted to the Preseason All-ACC first team. Virginia’s Anthony Gill, Duke’s Grayson Allen, Notre Dame’s Zach Auguste, NC State’s Anthony “Cat” Barber and North Carolina’s Johnson were second-team selections.

UNC was picked as the ACC preseason favorite for a league-high 21st time (20 times outright, one tie) in the 47-year history of the poll, and the sixth time under current head coach Roy Williams.  Media voters tabbed Duke as the preseason favorite each of the previous two seasons.

The Tar Heels tied with Kentucky for the No. 1 spot in the USA Today Coaches Preseason Poll, while Duke ranked fourth and Virginia sixth. Notre Dame was voted 18th, while Louisville, NC State, Florida State and Miami all received votes.

The regular season begins for all 15 ACC teams the weekend of Nov. 13-15. In addition to an 18-game regular-season conference schedule, the 63rd annual ACC be held March 8-12 (Tuesday through Saturday at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.

ACC Operation Basketball 2015-16 Preseason Poll
(First-place votes in parenthesis)

Team & Points
1. North Carolina (60): 1292

  1. Virginia (18): 1226
  2. Duke (8): 1187
  3. Notre Dame (1): 949
  4. Miami: 841
  5. Florida State (1): 827
  6. Louisville: 821
  7. NC State: 808
  8. Syracuse (1): 666
  9. Pitt: 623
  10. Wake Forest: 391
  11. Clemson: 359
  12. Georgia Tech: 296
  13. Virginia Tech: 260
  14. Boston College: 134

2015-16 Preseason All-ACC Team

(votes in parenthesis)

First team
Marcus Paige, Sr., North Carolina (86)
Malcolm Brogdon, Sr., Virginia (77)
Xavier Rathan-Mayes, So., Florida State (43)

Brandon Ingram, Fr., Duke (29)

Demetrius Jackson, Jr., Notre Dame (28)

Second team

Anthony Gill, Sr., Virginia (27)

Grayson Allen, So., Duke (27)

Zach Auguste, Sr., Notre Dame (24)

Anthony “Cat” Barber, Jr., NC State (22)

Brice Johnson, Sr., North Carolina (22)

ACC Preseason Co-Players of the Year
Marcus Paige, Sr., North Carolina

Malcolm Brodgon, Sr., Virginia

ACC Preseason Freshman of the Year
Brandon Ingram, Duke

For more, visit theACC.com | @theACC

ACC Teams

Fri. and Sat. Halloween Fun

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Trick or Treating in Henderson Friday & Saturday:

Friday, October 30th from 4:30-6:00 pm, the local Downtown businesses will host Trick-or-Treat on Garnett Street. Businesses displaying the orange signs are participating sponsors. Children from the age of two to twelve can trick-or-treat from the corner of the Fire Station on Garnett Street to intersection of Garnett Street and Raleigh Road.

Also, on Friday, October 30th from 3:30-6:00 pm on Wyche Street in downtown Henderson, several local businesses would like you to join them for Halloween Red Ribbon Funfest. There will be trick or treating, games, music, free food, bouncy house, educational booth and much more.

Saturday, October 31st – Door to Door Trick or Treating in the City of Henderson will be from 6:00 PM until 9:00 PM.

Also on Saturday night, come out to Southern Vance High School  for “HALLOWEEN ABA NIGHT CELEBRATION!” It all starts at 6PM when two ABA Basketball teams – NC Coyotes and the Hampton Roads Stallions play against each other.

Then join in on the fun immediately after the game for their “Haunted Howler” Scary Bowl over at Carolina Lanes located at 85 US-158 Bypass in Henderson.

Dress up and bring your little ones. Prizes for Best Costume and Most Mysterious.

For more information, please Reinaldo Espinosa at 252-204-8515.

(Information provided by the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce)

News 10/30/2015

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