Small Farms Week 2021

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The 35th annual celebration of Small Farms Week will be held virtually Mar. 21-27. Cooperative Extension at N.C. A&T State University is sponsoring a series of virtual events and educational programs to inform the public and provide research-based information to support small farmers.

This year’s theme is “35 Years: Resilience. Strength. Diversity” and will begin with a kick-off event on Friday, Mar. 19, according to information from the Greensboro-based university. The programs are “designed for farmers with limited incomes and acreage and will provide them with information to become more resilient and more profitable,” according to the statement. Although focused on small-scale farmers, the public is also invited to attend.

The USDA census defines a small farm as “a farm that is 179 acres or less in size, or earns $50,000 or less in gross income per year.

The Mar. 19 event will feature agriculture in Avery County, located in western North Carolina. This session also will recognize Avery County’s Amos and Kaci Nidiffer, the 2020 Small Farmers of the Year. A panel of local farmers will discuss farming in that part of the state.

The virtual activities continue on Monday, Mar. 22, with sessions on the health benefits of community gardening and ways to boost your immune system during the pandemic. A virtual education forum on Tuesday, Mar. 23 will cover plant production, farm management, high-tunnel winter production and livestock production. A panel of N.C. A&T students will discuss the wide variety of career opportunities available in agriculture and related fields.

Wednesday’s program includes information on marketing and agribusiness, as well as a small farms update by members of A&T’s College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. The day also includes one of the highlights of the week: the virtual Small Farmers’ Appreciation Program. Keynote speaker is Jimmy Gentry, president of the North Carolina Grange. The 2021 Small Farmer of the Year will also be announced.

The final event of Small Farms Week 2021 will be a panel discussion among A&T students on Thursday, Mar. 25 about opportunities for young people in agriculture.

The registration link is

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/small-farms-week-35-years-resilience-strength-diversity-tickets-141203398165

Hear Billing Solutions Virtual Hiring Event Tuesday, March 16 at 11 a.m.

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Hear Billing Solutions is holding a virtual hiring event tomorrow (Tues, March 16, 2021) with guaranteed interviews.

You’ll find out about opportunities for billing specialists.

Interviews will be available Thursday for those who attend the virtual event Tuesday.

Register at events.kerrtarworks.com.

Contact the NC Works Career Center for more information at 919-693-2686.

Email Joseph.Jung@ncworks.gov or Lonnda.Brothers@ncworks.gov

Granville Vance Public Health Logo

TownTalk 03-09-21; Lisa Harrison, Granville Vance Public Health

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The recent stretch of warmer, sunny days is a welcome sign that spring is just around the corner. For Granville-Vance Public Health Director Lisa Harrison, the break in the weather is another way to combat COVID-19 as well.

“The biggest help is that people spend more time outside,” Harrison said on Tuesday’s Town Talk. She spoke with John C. Rose and Bill Harris about how things are going with vaccinations in the area and what’s in store in the upcoming months.

“Making sure that we’re breathing fresh air,” she said, adding that the natural ventilation that being outdoors affords is very beneficial.

At this time, 17 percent of residents in Vance and Granville counties have gotten at least one COVID-19 vaccine and 10 percent are fully vaccinated. “That’s just excellent progress,” she said.

“We’re doing an excellent job,” Harrison said, and said the collaboration with community partners like schools, hospitals and local pharmacies has been a key component to getting vaccines in arms.

The very good news that Harrison shared Tuesday comes from a CDC update, as well as from Gov. Roy Cooper and DHHS Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen. People who have been fully vaccinated and have waited two weeks for full immunity to occur can gather in small groups – sans masks. “It’s absolutely fine for us to congregate in small groups,” she said, as long as everyone has waited two weeks after being fully vaccinated.

It is still important to wear masks in big public spaces, she said, or in spaces where you’re not sure that everyone has been fully vaccinated, she added.

More than 15,000 shots have been given in the two counties, she said, but she also acknowledged that some residents may choose not to be vaccinated. Being vaccinated, however, is “the best way to protect our entire population and each other.” Some people who have been exposed to the virus may have developed their own antibodies, which she said is a positive step toward overall community resistance or immunity to COVID-19.

For complete details and audio click play.  Story continues below including links.

Harrison reiterated that the three vaccines currently available in North Carolina – Phizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson – are all safe and effective. All three prevent severe illness and hospitalization. “There is not a bad choice,” she stated. “Dr. (Anthony) Fauci is right – get the vaccine that is available to you first.”

Because the Phizer vaccine is the most fragile, it usually goes to hospitals because they can keep it in super-cold storage. The Phizer vaccine is shipped in lots of 975 doses and is used for large-scale clinics. The Moderna vaccine doesn’t have to be kept as cold, she said. She estimated that each county gets between 500 and 700 Moderna doses each week. Harrison said the health department probably would be ordering the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine at the end of March. It could be used for more vulnerable populations, such as those people who may have a difficult time coming back for a second dose, which is required of both the Phizer and Moderna vaccines.

Side effects such as achiness, soreness or fatigue after the second shot, Harrison said , simply mean “your immune system is working well.” You cannot catch COVID-19 from the vaccine, she stressed. The vaccine “trains” your immune system to recognize and combat the virus. “It trains your immune system and then it disappears,” she said.

After the show, Harrison forwarded some links of interest to WIZS.

https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/media/1469/open

https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/media/905/download

 

Local News Audio

WIZS Local News 03-09-21 Noon

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WIZS Your Community Voice — 100.1 FM / 1450 AM

Click Play for today’s Local News Audio.

PRESENTED IN PART BY OUR SPONSOR DRAKE DENTISTRY

Local News Airs on WIZS M-F at 8 a.m., 12 Noon and 5 p.m.

“TownTalk” Airs on WIZS M-F at 11 a.m.

“The Local Skinny!” Airs on WIZS Mon-Thurs at 11:30 a.m.

 

 

The Local Skinny! March 9; Severe Weather Preparedness Week

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According to Brian Short, director of Henderson-Vance County Emergency Operations, now is the time to be prepared for Spring storms. This is the season that the threat of severe thunderstorms with the potential for lightning, tornadoes and flash flooding can occur. These conditions can develop rapidly with little advance warning. Short says that a great way to be prepared for severe weather is to update family emergency plans and supply kits before the severe weather season gets underway.

This week is Severe Weather Preparedness Week in North Carolina and serves as a reminder to all, the importance of planning for unexpected thunderstorms and tornadoes that could impact our area.

A tornado drill will be conducted on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. and all government agencies, businesses and schools are encouraged to participate. During the exercise, participants are encouraged to practice severe weather safety plans and seek shelter on the lowest floor of your building, keeping away from windows while continuing to practice social distancing and wearing masks.

Preparation for severe weather is critical. The North Carolina Department of Public Safety and the National Weather Service have combined forces to encourage residents to plan and prepare. Emergency officials recommend the following safety tips:

Develop a family emergency plan so each member knows what to do, where to go and who to call during an emergency.

Know where the nearest safe room is, such as a basement or interior room away from windows.

Know the terms: WATCH means severe weather is possible. WARNING means severe weather is occurring; take shelter immediately.

Assemble an emergency supply kit for use at home or in your vehicle. Make sure to include a 3-day supply of non-perishable food and bottled water.

If driving, leave your vehicle immediately to seek shelter in a safe structure. Do not try to outrun a tornado in your vehicle and do not stop under an overpass or bridge.

If there is no shelter available, take cover in a low-lying flat area.

If a severe weather warning is issued it’s also important to knew where to go. If you are at home it is suggested that you should go to a basement, under stairs or in a bathroom or closet.

If you are at work, the basement, if available, should be your first choice if not, then stairwells, bathrooms or closets are also options.

For school buildings it is suggested to seek shelter in inside hallways, small closets and bathrooms. Mobile classrooms, gymnasiums and auditoriums are not good places to shelter due to expansive roofs.

If you get caught outside in a storm you should try to find a sturdy building and if that is not an option, a ditch or other low-lying area can be used but remember to cover your head and watch for flying debris.

If you are in a car, pull over and seek shelter in a building, don’t try to outrun a tornado.

For more information visit www.readync.org.

 

Vance County NC

Vance County Getting New Voting Machines

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The Vance County Board of Commissioners approved the purchase of new voting machines at its March 1 meeting, and County Manager Jordan McMillen said local election officials are already making plans to have new machines in place for the fall 2021 elections.

McMillen recommended purchase of the new DS200 machines at a cost of $263,064. The county would be responsible for close to $150,000 of the total cost, he stated, which will come from the county’s fund balance. A $21,800 trade-in allowance, $30,461 from the City of Henderson (the city funds 17 percent of elections expenses) and $83,876 from HAVA (Help America Vote Act) offset the overall cost by more than $136,000. The HAVA funds must be spent by June 30. On top of those offsets, McMillen said he expected to be able to save about $25,000 in equipment maintenance once the new machines are installed.

McMillen told WIZS News that elections officials have begun the process of evaluating replacement voting machines.

The current M100 machines have outlived their 10-year life expectancy by four years, according to McMillen. In the 2020 election, he said, the machines had “challenges with sensors, batteries and tabulators.”

Christian Lockamy

TownTalk 03-08-21; New EDC director “impressed” with Vance

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Henderson-Vance Economic Development Commission Director Christian Lockamy has been on the job for less than two months, but he said in that short period of time he sees “a strong economic development program…with a tremendous amount of potential” for good things to come.

Since his Jan. 19, 2021 start date, Lockamy said he’s been “very impressed” with people he’s met and things he’s seen, adding that the focus is on the right areas to support economic development.” He spoke with John C. Rose on Monday’s Town Talk and said he looks forward to what the future holds for the area.

He noted that industries looking for areas to establish or relocate often are attracted by what’s already in place. “Industry reps are not pioneers,” he said. They don’t want to go and be, in a lot of cases, the first person in an industrial park,” he said. “They like to locate where other industrial companies” are already located.

With the addition of such businesses like Raleigh-based Mako Medical Laboratories, Lockamy said the Henderson area is poised to continue to attract more industry. “They’re looking for a place to go and conduct their business” and educational institutions nearby to fill out their workforce. “If we do what we’re supposed to be doing, for economic development and really go after sites and buildings…we’ll be able to land more companies,” he explained.

Lockamy worked for 2 ½ years in the Elizabeth City/Pasquotank Economic Development Commission before coming to Henderson, and he said he is proud of the work there to develop the Tanglewood  industrial site project by building upon proximity to rail and interstate infrastructure, as well as creating a public-private partnership to further the project.

“Shovel-ready” sites and buildings are the key to attracting new business and industry to an area, he said.  “Those are the types of things that change a community forever.”

During his time in Elizabeth City, he helped create a strategic plan, led efforts to launch a new economic development website and was instrumental in securing a large industrial site and certifying two industrial parks, according to information released when his hiring in Vance County was announced.

Experience using GIS (geographic information systems) comes in handy, too, Lockamy explained, when it comes to helping counties land new businesses and industry. The GIS provides data that can help identify sites for future economic development.

For complete details and audio click play.

His time working with GIS for the city of Greenville gave him the chance to help city planners and decision makers, understand and make necessary changes to ordinances – all based on objective data from GIS. “It became instrumental when I got into economic development,” he said of GIS, and he began using GIS and research skills to understand the economic development climate, he added. GIS data can be used to analyze the demographics within a certain radius of a prospective site where a business may be looking to locate.

Besides attracting new industry, Lockamy said he looks forward to working with a new downtown director – once that person is in place. “I believe we have a lot of potential downtown,” he said, adding that Garnett Street has many old buildings that can be brought back to life. He said his experience working in Greenville with various mixed-use development projects as an asset he can use to provide support for the downtown development director. “I can work with them and provide support for them, not only with expertise but also in-kind services as well,” Lockamy said.  “It’s great working together with those types of relationships,” he said. “Anything I can do to help I certainly will.”

VGCC Logo

“The Local Skinny!” March 8; VGCC Celebrates Women’s History Month

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March is Women’s History Month and Vance-Granville Community College has put together a series of programs and resources that are just a click of the mouse away for anyone who would like to participate and learn more.

Natasha Thompson, a history instructor at VGCC, spoke with John C. Rose Monday – International Women’s Day – on The Local Skinny about the various virtual events that will take place in March to celebrate the achievements and accomplishments of women.

The theme “No Limits, No Obstacles, No Ceilings: Fighting for a Future of Limitless Potential” is adapted from a speech delivered by then-President Barack Obama in honor of Women’s History Month, Thompson said.

The virtual sessions begin at noon on Mar. 11, Mar. 18 and Mar. 24 and are open to the public; it is not necessary to be a VGCC student, she added. The programs promote women’s history, as well as current conditions and how women can move into the future, she noted.

The Mar. 11 topic is how to stay healthy while maintaining a busy lifestyle. An agent with Warren County Cooperative Extension will lead this program. A panel discussion is scheduled for Mar. 18 and will include VGCC faculty, staff and other community leaders. The panel will discuss historical factors that have limited women in the past, as well as “big-picture” changes and ways current and future VGCC students can work to continue to overcome barriers, Thompson said.

The final topic on Mar. 24 is titled “Minority Women’s Guide to Financial Confidence.” Faith Bynum, a certified public accountant in Raleigh, will lead this workshop on overcoming financial stigmas for minority women.

Visit vgcc.edu to find the links to register for the virtual workshops. Also on the website is a LibGuide, a compilation of additional online events, books and other resources to learn more about Women’s History Month.

(Audio with Natasha Thompson begins at the 8:30 mark of the file)

Local News Audio

WIZS Local News 3-08-21 Noon

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WIZS Your Community Voice — 100.1 FM / 1450 AM

Click Play for today’s Local News Audio.

PRESENTED IN PART BY OUR SPONSOR DRAKE DENTISTRY

Local News Airs on WIZS M-F at 8 a.m., 12 Noon and 5 p.m.

“TownTalk” Airs on WIZS M-F at 11 a.m.

“The Local Skinny!” Airs on WIZS Mon-Thurs at 11:30 a.m.

 

H-V Emergency Operations

Severe Weather Preparedness Week 2021

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— press release from Brian Short, director Henderson-Vance County Emergency Operations

With pandemic lock downs and a cold, wet winter, most of us are looking forward to spring and warmer weather. However, with spring comes the threat of severe thunderstorms with potential lightning, tornadoes and flash flooding – all of which can develop so rapidly that an advance warning may be impossible.

A great activity to take on while still indoors awaiting the arrival of spring is to get prepared by updating your family emergency plan and supply kit so you are ready should severe weather strike.

To encourage planning and preparation for severe weather, March 7-13, 2021 is Severe Weather Preparedness Week in North Carolina and serves as a reminder to all, the importance of planning for unexpected thunderstorms and tornadoes that could impact our state.

Government agencies, businesses and schools are encouraged participate in the annual statewide tornado drill Wednesday, March 10th, at 9:30 a.m. While exercising social distancing and mask wearing we encourage everyone to practice their severe weather safety plan and seek shelter on the lowest floor of your building and away from windows. Practicing now will allow you to respond quickly when severe weather heads your way.

All residents should take this opportunity to practice what to do in the event that a severe thunderstorm or tornado takes place. Tornadoes and flash floods can develop at a moment’s notice; take time now to prepare and keep you and your loved ones safe.

Keep your home a safe haven this severe weather season and use the following safety tips:

Make Preparation a Priority

When it comes to severe weather, preparation is critical. The ability to recognize threatening conditions, develop a plan and act could help save your life. Thunderstorms include a variety of weather conditions such as tornadoes, straight-line winds, flash floods and hail; this assortment proves the importance of being ready for anything, anytime, anywhere.

North Carolina experiences on average 40 to 50 thunderstorm days per year, but about 10 percent are severe – producing hail at least an inch in diameter, winds of 58 mph or produces a tornado. Lightning is also a danger linked with severe storms and it can strike as far as 10 miles away from the rain area in a thunderstorm. If the sky looks threatening, residents should take shelter immediately and remember, if thunder roars, go indoors! Tornadoes form from powerful thunderstorms and appear as funnel-shaped clouds that reach from a thunderstorm to the ground with winds that can reach 300 miles per hour. Although thunderstorms affect a smaller area than a hurricane or winter storm, if a tornado is produced, damage paths could be more than one-mile-wide and 50 miles long.

Safety Tips

The North Carolina Department of Public Safety and the National Weather Service have teamed to encourage residents to plan and prepare. Due to the variety of severe weather that can take place during spring season, emergency officials recommend the following safety tips:

  • Develop a family emergency plan so each member knows what to do, where to go and who to call during an emergency.
  • Know where the nearest safe room is, such as a basement or interior room away from windows.
  • Know the terms: WATCH means severe weather is possible. WARNING means severe weather is occurring; take shelter immediately.
  • Assemble an emergency supply kit for use at home or in your vehicle. Make sure to include a 3-day supply of non-perishable food and bottled water.
  • If driving, leave your vehicle immediately to seek shelter in a safe structure. Do not try to outrun a tornado in your vehicle and do not stop under an overpass or bridge.
  • If there is no shelter available, take cover in a low-lying flat area.

Make sure you know where to go when disaster strikes.

  • Home – Go to the basement, under stairs or in a bathroom or closet.
  • Work – Go to the basement, if available. If not, stairwells, bathrooms and closets are options too.
  • School – Seek shelter in inside hallways, small closets and bathrooms. Do not retreat to mobile classrooms, gymnasiums, auditoriums and other rooms with a large expanse of roof. Bus drivers should be alert for bad weather on their routes.
  • Outside – Find the closest sturdy shelter or seek shelter in a ditch or low-lying area, and cover your head with your hands. DO NOT get under an overpass or bridge. You are safer in a low, flat location. Watch out for flying debris.
  • In a car – Do not try to outrun a tornado in a car. Pull over, and seek shelter in a building.

Find more information on tornadoes, severe storms and emergency preparedness by visiting the ReadyNC website, www.ReadyNC.org.

Vance County, take time now to prepare; it could make all the difference.

Click this link and print the Family Emergency Plan – https://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/FamEmePlan_2012.pdf