To understand more about the success of last Saturday’s outdoor hockey event, we caught up with John Brockwell, radio producer and engineer, for the Carolina Hurricanes Radio Network.
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Job seekers and employers will get a unique opportunity to “meet” later this week during a Cyber Hire event sponsored by the Kerr-Tar COG.
Employers from across the five-county region – Vance, Granville, Warren, Franklin and Person – will make presentations that will be livestreamed to a site in each of the counties, where prospective employees will be gathered, explained Desiree Brooks, business services manager of KTCOG’s workforce development board.
This hybrid hiring event is just another way that KTCOG connects employers who are looking for workers and individuals who are looking for employment, Brooks told John C. Rose on Tuesday’s TownTalk.
She and co-worker Adam Perkins said the CyberHire 2023 event creates a convenient way for employers to participate without having to leave their offices. Participants will be checked in and all settled in their spots beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 24. The presentations will begin promptly at 10 a.m. and will conclude about 12 noon.
Each county has its own site where the CyberHire 2023 can be viewed:
Brooks said they wanted to bring back the in-person events after things got shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic. The KTCOG has held outdoor events in the area, and she said the hybrid event will be convenient for everyone involved and has been strategically planned for effectiveness.
“They all need employees,” she said of the companies and manufacturers that will be represented Friday. “This is an opportunity for these employers to be in the comfort of their offices” while making a pitch to prospective workers.
The presentations will be viewed live, but in “listen-only” mode. Brooks said she expects follow-up interviews to be scheduled quickly so hires can be made.
Among the employers taking part in Friday’s session are: Versatrim, Maria Parham Health, International Paper, CertainTeed, Altec and Warren Correctional Institute. The positions range from machine operators and manufacturers to administrative positions, Perkins said.
“We have an array of employers from all of our counties,” he added.
Brooks agreed, adding that “every single employer will be promoting positions that pay a minimum of $16 an hour. They’re going to be learning about some great opportunities,” she said.
To learn more about this and other KTCOG programs, call 252.598.5200 or visit
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Henderson’s American Legion Post 60 is celebrating 100 years of service to the area with a special program Saturday evening to mark the occasion.
Post 60 Commander Ted Grissom reminds members of the program that is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 25, beginning at 6 p.m.
Post 60 Vice-Commander Hartwell Wright spoke with John C. Rose on Tuesday’s TownTalk and he said the local post provides support to military veterans in the area.
One goal on the horizon for Post 60 is establishing a veterans memorial in downtown Henderson. Although the idea is in the early stages, Wright said he hopes to have details soon about a tangible way to honor the military veterans of Vance County.
Wright recalled the early days of the American Legion in the U.S., when Congress decided that the newly established group would be the voice for veterans. The American Legion was instrumental in the formation of the Veterans Administration, he noted.
One of the group’s goals, Wright said, is “to keep the membership strong so we can be relevant in the future.” One way the local post supports veterans is with financial help. “When there is a significant need brought to our attention, we do our best to help that veteran,” Wright explained.
Membership is strong at this time, he said, adding that more veterans from the Vietnam and Iraq conflicts are choosing to participate in legion activities.
“It’s imperative on us to continue to recruit…so the future will be bright for the American Legion and the veterans we serve,” Wright said.
Among the activities planned for the program Saturday is a presentation of the post’s history by Ret. Col. Ed Blue.
“It will be the highlight of the event,” Wright said.
The event will be held at the Post 60 building, located at the corner of Garnett and Spring streets and will include a covered dish supper.
In addition to local post leaders, American Legion division commanders, vice-commanders and other district, state and local dignitaries are expected to be present. And although this particular event is by invitation only, American Legion leaders want to make sure that all local veterans know about ongoing activities that Post 60 participates and to raise awareness about services and membership in the organization.
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Students in middle or high school are invited to take part in a “survival skills” workshop at the Perry Memorial Library, but the skills learned bear no resemblance to those of reality TV shows where you have to eat weird stuff or navigate deserted islands.
No, this month’s survival skills workshop involves sewing machines, said Melody Peters, the library’s youth services director.
Last month, participants learned how to sew on a button – if you stop by the library this afternoon, you’ll see the group sewing mittens, Peters told WIZS’s Bill Harris on Tuesday’s segment of The Local Skinny!
Originally designed for youth in grades 6-8, Peters said the class is going to be opened up for high school students, too.
Next month’s project is making a shirt and then they’ll move on to making stuffed toys.
These basic skills used to be taught in home economics classes, if they weren’t taught by parents or grandparents, but Peters said offering the workshop at the library is just one way to interact with young people and help them feel successful.
“Education is your ticket,” Peters said, “but it can look differently for everybody.” Sometimes, kids just need a little help to learn those skills – like basic sewing – as they become more independent and self-reliant.
Next Tuesday, Feb. 28, at 4:30 p.m., the library programming shifts gears as it welcomes Mama Azia as part of African American History Month. This interactive event features music and storytelling, Peters said. “I’m so excited to see her engage our youth – it’s going to be amazing!”
Then, on Tuesday, Mar 7 at 4:30 p.m., the library will have another in a series of workshops called “life hacks.” The March workshop will help young people begin the process of creating a resume.
“I want kids to be ahead of the game,” Peters said, to be prepared with a resume and choosing references when they go out in search of a summer job, for example.
Participants will get individualized attention from adults knowledgeable about building a resume and what it should include to be as effective as possible.
Peters said young people can have a document in their Google Drive, ready to send at a moment’s notice.
“You can do all of this mobile,” she said. So when kids are out and about and hear about a possible job opportunity, they can retrieve a resume virtually and can send it along to a prospective employer right away. The workshop will give young people a chance to practice interview skills.
Visit https://www.perrylibrary.org/ for details on all upcoming events and programs.
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A couple of railroad crossings in the Henderson area will be closed for some planned maintenance in the next couple of weeks.
Southern Commercial Development made the announcement as it handles traffic control for CSX. SCD’s Chief Operations Officer Angela Nelis said her team will be creating a traffic detour during the closures. NC DOT crews will assist with paving the areas.
The Chavasse Avenue crossing is scheduled for maintenance beginning at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 21. It will remain closed until Thursday, Feb. 23 at 5 p.m.
The crossing at St. Matthews Street is scheduled for work beginning at 7 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 27 and will remain closed until Wednesday, Mar. 1 at 5 p.m.
As a reminder, during this maintenance work, no vehicles will be able to cross the tracks.
Vance County firefighters and others involved in fire service are invited to attend a class next week on leadership development.
Vance County Fire Chief Chris Wright said the class, titled “It’s Not About You: Forging Sovereign Leadership” will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 22 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Wright told WIZS News that Erick Mohn, who works with the Wake Forest Fire Department, will lead the session, which will take place at the Vance County Rescue Squad, 1735 Maynard St.
Although mainly geared to fire personnel, Wright said the workshop teaches how to be a humble leader.
“Being a leader, (it’s) not just about yourself, but being a leader for others and for the community,” he said.
Wright said he’s known Mohn for a long time, and when the opportunity presented itself to do the training, Wright was all for it.
Firefighters are used to lots of training – but this strays a bit from the typical training they must complete.
“We can pull hose and throw ladders” all day long, Wright said, but the training is designed to “get down to the heart of why we do what we do and who we do it for.”
A Guilford County teenager was arrested during a traffic stop earlier this month in Vance County and ultimately charged with possession of a stolen firearm.
Sekius Rainey, 18, was charged in connection with the Feb. 10 traffic stop, which occurred on Newton Dairy Road, according to a press statement from Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame.
The firearm had been reported stolen from Granville County.
Officers turned Rainey over to Granville County officers for questioning and processing. He was given a $20,000 secured bond by a magistrate.
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A Henderson man is in jail on a couple of charges, one of which is possession of cocaine, according to Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame.
Members of the sheriff’s office narcotics unit assisted U.S. marshals locate Terrance Hargrove on Friday, Feb. 17, Brame stated in a press release Monday.
Hargrove, 45, was found in the area of North Henderson and placed into custody on a federal detention order.
He also was charged with possession of 8.6 grams of cocaine, for which he received a $60,000 secure bond.
Hargrove is being held without privilege of bond on the federal detention, awaiting a court date of Mar. 17, 2023.
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