The Local Skinny! Seahawks Night at Vance County Football Game

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The Gate City Seahawks took the field Friday night to be recognized during Seahawks Night at Viper Stadium, but also as future Jaguars and Vipers, and to get an idea of what it’s like to play under the Friday Night lights.

Henderson Vance Recreation and Parks Director Kendrick Vann said the young people are learning what it’s like to be part of a team and all the positive aspects of collaboration, teamwork and partnerships.

It’s been seven years since the local youth league teams have been part of a competitive league, and Vann told WIZS’s Scout Hughes and David “Doc” Ayscue that from where he sits, “good things are happening in football” in Vance County.

The youth league teams are coed, Vann said, and teams vary by age group – a few dozen kids are in flag football, for ages 4-6. And the teams for older youth are both 7-0 this season.

The Seahawks play home games at Vance County Middle School, but travel to Durham, Clayton, Wendell, Franklinton and elsewhere for contests.

But it’s not just about the games, Vann said. There’s an emphasis on doing service projects in the community, including participating in the citywide cleanup efforts in Henderson and making sure that the kids “dress for success” when banquet time rolls around.

Vann said the team walks out on the field together and exercises together. “We try to do a good job to form a program,” he said.

The coaching staffs at the middle school and the high school also are developing partnerships with the Seahawks – after all, they are the future Jaguars and the future Vipers.

“Vance County has a lot of great athletes,” Vann said. “There is true talent here in Vance County,” he said.

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TownTalk: Victory Baptist Church Pastor Appreciation Day; Ricky Easter

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The congregation at Victory Baptist Church went all out Sunday for Pastor Appreciation Day.

But for Pastor Ricky Easter, now in his 39th year at the church, it could have been called “Preacher” Appreciation Day.

“Most everybody calls me Preacher,” Easter said Monday, just a day after the special service, which included the congregation gathering around Easter and his wife, Debbie, to lay hands on and pray for the couple and for Easter’s ministry.

“I like being called the preacher,” Easter said, “because that’s what I am…called to the Lord to preach the Gospel. And that’s my greatest joy.”

As an independent church, Victory Baptist isn’t a member of any group or association, and Easter said they use the King James Version of the Bible. “We still sing the old hymns, and some of the newer songs” that young people like to sing.

The folks who come to worship on Sundays are really like a family, he said. “Some of our people are closer to our church family than they are to their own family,” Easter said. “Christ unites us together and brings us together.”

So when that church family rose from their seats on Sunday to offer prayers for Easter, he said it was something special.

“Yesterday was a blessing,” he said, “to see all the people in our church that moved forward and gathered around Debbie and I. It was a blessing to know that we have that much support. That they still stand with us, still stand behind us. And stand for what we stand for. It was great encouragement to know that your people are ‘for’ you.”

Victory Baptist supports 40-plus missionaries across the world as they spread the Gospel far and wide.

And Easter said the weekly broadcasts on WIZS help the church work at home. “We work in our Jerusalem, in our Judaeh, to get the Gospel out,” he said.

The Gospel message is the most important aspect of his ministry, and Easter said he tries to preach with all his heart.

“I’m passionate about it…that’s the only hope that anybody has of heaven – the gospel.  If they don’t believe the gospel, they have no hope of heaven.”

Music is another important component of Easter’s ministry. The couple would sing together a lot, Easter said, with him providing accompaniment on the guitar.

They don’t sing as much anymore, but their three daughters – and the grandchildren are carrying on the tradition.

And when the family got up at the end of the service to sing some of those songs that he and Debbie sang together years ago…well, the Preacher was quite moved.

“It was heart-wrenching,” he said.

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VGCC Logo

Part-Time Career Fair Wednesday

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Who: Vance-Granville Community College

What: Part-Time Career Fair

When: October 22 from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Where: VGCC Civic Center, Building 9 of the Henderson (Main) Campus

Additional Details: High School and VGCC students and alumni and the General Public – vgcc.edu/event/vgcc-part-time-career-fair

Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Forest Management Plans

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Wayne Rowland, on the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report:

Forestry management plans can improve your forests and increase your income in the future.

Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

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Cooperative Extension with Jamon Glover: Building Basic Life Skills

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Jamon Glover, on the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report:

We continue our conversation about responsibility and basic life skills.

Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

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Frances Garrett And Friends Present $45,080 To American Cancer Society In Washington, D.C.

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Frances Garrett is not one to rest on her laurels – actually, it seems like she’s not one to rest at all when it comes to raising money to support the work of the American Cancer Society. For the second year in a row, Garrett and her team of faithful volunteers was recognized at a gathering in Washington, D.C. for their fundraising efforts.

The cancer society has a representative in every Congressional district in the nation, Garrett explained on Tuesday’s TownTalk with Scout Hughes.

Last year, the group presented more than $30,000 to fight cancer. “We did better than that this year,” she said, with a total of $45,080 to the society’s Cancer Action Network.

And the cherry on top is that Garrett was named to the inaugural CAN Fundraising Hall of Fame.

About 750 advocates like Garrett raised more than $900,000 in 2024-25, and this year’s goal is a modest $1 million.

Garrett said she’s ready to do her part. The first estate sale of the new fundraising year begins Thursday, Oct. 16 at 602 S. Garnett St.

That’s the weekend of the annual car show in downtown Henderson, and Garrett said the sale will begin two days beforehand so local shoppers can stop by before parking spots are gobbled up by the car show.

Come by anytime Thursday through Saturday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. and then again on Sunday, Oct. 19 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

How does Garrett and her team do what they do? “It’s our people supporting us by coming in and buying,” she said. She also said folks regularly contact her about making donations in memory of friends or family who have lost their battles with cancer.

“My dream and hope is that we can help at least one person have a better life,” Garrett said.

The sale will take place in a building owned by Jason Stewardson, who Garrett said has been most kind in donating for their use.

“We couldn’t have done anything without him,” she said. “He has been remarkable for us.”

There are lots of Christmas decorations and many items of interest, from home décor and furniture to kitchen ware and children’s toys.

To learn more, contact Garrett at 252.425.8852.
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Maria Parham Health’s State-Of-The-Art Radiation Oncology Dept. Elevates Cancer Care

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— information courtesy of Maria Parham Health Public Information Officer Donna Young

Maria Parham Health celebrated the reopening of its Radiation Oncology Department on Oct. 10, marking the culmination of several months of renovations and significant technology upgrades aimed at elevating cancer care in the region. The event welcomed community members, hospital staff and local leaders to tour the updated facility, which now houses a state-of-the-art linear accelerator and offers expanded treatment options including Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy.

The upgraded linear accelerator represents the latest advancement in external beam radiation therapy, delivering high-energy X-rays or electrons with exceptional precision to target cancerous tumors while preserving healthy surrounding tissue. The new technology’s ability to rotate around the patient and integrate advanced imaging sets a new standard for patient care and comfort in radiation oncology.

“Bringing this level of technology to Maria Parham Health is a major step forward for our patients and our community,” said Bert Beard, CEO of Maria Parham Health. “We are proud to now offer cutting-edge treatments like SBRT, which not only improves outcomes but also reduces treatment time and enhances quality of life for our patients. This reopening represents our continued commitment to innovation, excellence, and compassionate care.”

As a Duke LifePoint hospital, Maria Parham Health benefits from its affiliation with Duke Health, ensuring that patients have access to the same high-quality, evidence-based cancer care  found at larger academic centers—delivered conveniently close to home by trusted local  providers.

SBRT is a highly specialized form of radiation therapy that allows for the delivery of larger doses of radiation over fewer sessions—typically between one and five—compared to traditional therapy that may require daily treatments for several weeks. The precision of SBRT is made possible through advanced imaging and targeting technologies, helping to spare healthy tissue and reduce side effects.

Guests at the reopening also had the opportunity to meet Dr. Ryan Fecteau, MD, PhD, Maria Parham Health’s new Radiation Oncologist. Fecteau brings a wealth of clinical expertise and a compassionate, patient-centered approach to the team, further enhancing the cancer care  services available to patients in the region.

The celebration took place in a setting adorned in pink, honoring Breast Cancer Awareness Month and reaffirming the hospital’s dedication to comprehensive, community-based cancer care.