Acting U.S. Attorney G. Norman Acker, III Recognizes Police Week 2021

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In honor of National Police Week, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina G. Norman Acker, III recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement. This year, the week is observed Sunday, May 9 through Saturday, May 15, 2021.

“This week is a time to honor our law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation,” said Attorney General Garland. “I am constantly inspired by the extraordinary courage and dedication with which members of law enforcement act each day, putting their lives on the line to make our communities safer. To members of law enforcement and your families: we know that not a single day, nor a single week, is enough to recognize your service and sacrifice. On behalf of the entire Department of Justice, you have our unwavering support and eternal gratitude.”

“During Police Week, our nation celebrates the contributions of police officers from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty and commitment in keeping our communities safe,” said Acting United States Attorney Acker.  “I want to acknowledge the work performed by federal, state, and local law enforcement, who often face uncertain and dangerous situations without question and without expectation of thanks.  We want them to know they have our unwavering support and appreciation.”

In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices.  Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.

Each year, during National Police Week, our nation celebrates the contributions of law enforcement from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty, and commitment to keeping our communities safe. This year the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted law enforcement officers’ courage and unwavering devotion to the communities that they have sworn to serve.

During the Roll Call of Heroes, a ceremony coordinated by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), more than 300 officers will be honored.  Based on data submitted to and analyzed by the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), of the law enforcement officers who died nationwide in the line of duty in 2020, nearly 60 percent succumbed to COVID-19. Here in the Eastern District of North Carolina, two officers died in the line of duty.

Additionally, according to statistics reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, 46 law enforcement officers died as a result of felonious acts and 47 died in accidents in 2020.  LEOKA statistics can be found on FBI’s Crime Data Explorer website.

The names of the 394 fallen officers who have been added in 2020 to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial will be read on Thursday, May 13, 2021, during a Virtual Candlelight Vigil, which will be livestreamed to the public at 8:00 pm EDT. The Police Week in-person public events, originally scheduled for May, have been rescheduled due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns to October 13-17, 2021. An in-person Candlelight Vigil event is scheduled for October 14, 2021.

Those who wish to view the Virtual Candlelight Vigil on May 13, 2021, can watch on the NLEOMF YouTube channel found at https://www.youtube.com/user/TheNLEOMF. The FOP’s Roll Call of Heroes can be viewed at www.fop.net. To view the schedule of virtual Police Week events in May, please view NLEOMF’s Police Week Flyer.

To learn more about National Police Week in-person events scheduled for October, please visit www.policeweek.org.

 

H-V Chamber Logo

Local Business Transportation Survey Respondents Needed

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The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile is surely one vehicle that almost no one will ever be afforded the opportunity to drive to work.  There is a special program for that.

All fun aside, there is presently special transportation survey information out from the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce.

According to Chamber President Michele Burgess, the Chamber’s Governmental and Public Affairs Division is seeking responses to the survey to identify local transportation needs.

Burgess said in an email received by WIZS News, The Chamber, “in partnership with the Community Collaborative Council, would appreciate your immediate response to a survey to help identify local transportation needs as it relates to recruiting, hiring, and maintaining employees at your business/industry.”

Follow this link to SurveyMonkey – https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PPNTW9M

Basically, the survey is trying to determine if transportation limitations are impacting ways people travel to work, how they travel and if recruiting new workers is being affected by means of transportation.

(The Wienermobile visited the Raleigh Road Outdoor Theatre in Henderson on Friday, November 13, 2020. — If you want to read more about that, click here.  If you want to read more about the Wienermobile itself, follow this link – https://www.oscarmayer.com/wienermobile).

 

Henderson-Vance Rec and Parks Arthritis Exercise Class Tues & Thurs

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WIZS has been asked to announce:

Arthritis Exercise Class – The Henderson-Vance Recreation & Parks Department will be having Arthritis Exercise Class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:30pm-3:30pm. This is a FREE low-impact, joint safe program developed for people with arthritis. This class has been proven to decrease pain and stiffness while increasing flexibility and range of motion. This class is also suitable for every fitness level. Join in by logging on to Facebook Live on the Henderson Vance Special Programs page or at Aycock Recreation Center. Participants must preregister to participate at Aycock Recreation Center. There are only 10 slots available. For more information or to register, please contact Crystal Allen at 252.431.6091 (callen@ci.henderson.nc.us) or Tara Goolsby at 252.438.3948 (tgoolsby@ci.henderson.nc.us)

City of Henderson Logo

Henderson City Council Meets Virtually May 10 at 6 p.m.

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The Henderson City Council will hold a public hearing Monday, May 10 as it considers a request to annex parcels along Red Oak Road, which extends from U.S. 158 Bypass to Dabney Road.

The public hearing will take place at the beginning of the council’s regularly scheduled meeting. The city clerk received a petition to extend the city limits to incorporate the road, just over seven acres.

Because of COVID-19 restrictions, public comments should be submitted via email to City Clerk Esther McCracken at emccrackin@ci.henderson.nc.us by 3 p.m. on Monday, May 10. The comments will be read aloud at the meeting and should be limited to three minutes per person.

Other agenda items include:

  • a request for grant funding to partially reimburse the city for purchase of bulletproof vests for new police officers and to replace broken or outdated vests. The grant comes from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance and would pay up to half the cost of a vest, which has a pricetag of more than $9,600.
  • a request from City Engineer Clark Thomas involving a stretch of 12-inch waterline along Nutbush Road. The waterline is “a critical loop in the Kerr Lake transmission/distribution system,” according to agenda information. The waterline easement through Corps property will remedy a buildup of a disinfection byproduct that must be flushed regularly. This action involves consent of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and is expected to cost $7,500 to fix. Little Environments PLLC was awarded the bid for the project. The money will be moved from the Kerr Lake Regional Water System’s reserve fund to the capital improvement plan fund.

 

Join the meeting, which begins at 6 p.m., at

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82325370925?pwd=VVd1emhVOHpHak01eW0rTVVYU24xUT09

Exams, State Tests: No Opt-outs For Students

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Vance County Schools students will begin taking exams, end-of-course (EOC) and end-of-grade (EOG) tests in less than two weeks, and school officials are working hard to make sure parents are informed about schedules and understanding the logistics  necessary to satisfy state requirements in a safe environment.

Exam schedules are posted on each school’s website, according to Aarika Sandlin, public information officer. High school students will kick off the testing season, taking  EOC and Career Technical Education (CTE) the week of May 17-21.

Testing continues through the end of May and into June for students on a year-round calendar.

“NCDPI has indicated all state exams must take place on campus,” Sandlin said in a written statement to WIZS News. “We have exam schedules for all of our schools posted on each school’s website and encourage families to contact their child’s school for specific concerns or questions,” she said.

The testing schedules provide details for students who have returned to in-person learning as well as those students who continue to learn remotely. Sandlin encouraged any parent to contact their child’s school if they have questions about the test schedule.

North Carolina students in grades 3-8 take EOGs in Reading/English Language Arts and Math. Students in grades 5 and 8 also take a Science EOG.

Students in grades 9-13 take EOC exams in Biology, English II, NC Math 1 and NC Math 3.

Exams count as a percentage of high school students’ final grades.  The state also uses this information to measure proficiency and to maintain metrics and data, Sandlin said.

There will be no school report card letter grades this year.

“There are no opt-outs for state assessments and we encourage all of our families to be present for all of their state testing,” Sandlin said.

For basic information and tips about preparing students for the standardized testing, parents can visit https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dOqA6dZ_3pShTaVc9ADOY2su2nvKn-B0/view.

Henderson, NC National Day of Prayer 2021

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Henderson, NC presents an annual National Day of Prayer Service.

This year, the tradition continues using a broadcast format.

Thank you for listening.

WIZS, Your Community Voice!

To the Glory of God Only. #ASDG

Henderson-Vance Rec and Parks Welcomes Curry Hall

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— From the Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Department

Curry Hall is the newest member of the Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Department. Curry is from Burlington, NC, and has worked in local government for over five years. He worked as a police officer in Burlington and Hillsborough before switching to the parks and recreation career field full-time. Curry has a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from UNC-Greensboro and Master’s degree in Public Administration from Liberty University. He enjoys hiking with his fiancée, Morgan, and his Golden Retriever fur baby, Georgia, along the Haw River. Curry has a love for outdoor recreation and natural resource education.

Kerr-Tar Agency on Aging Helps Families Find Options for Care

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Family members often find themselves pitching in to help older parents, grandparents or siblings with their daily living needs. Providing that extra support, however, often comes at the expense of their own needs. And sometimes, they just need a break.

The Kerr-Tar Area Agency on Aging can help those caregivers connect with resources to assist with the kind of service – for the care receiver and the care giver, said Austin Caton, Kerr-Tar family caregiver support specialist. Caton and Camille Koonce, a certified case manager and eldercare consultant, discussed some local options with John C. Rose on Thursday’s Town Talk.

Navigating through the various programs and services can be confusing and time-consuming, but Caton can help untangle the knots for families to access the option that best suits their needs.

One program is called respite care, Caton said, which provides unpaid primary caregivers a break from the responsibilities of caring for a family member. “The caregivers are just depleted,” he said. There are vouchers funded through the Older Americans Act that can help pay for this respite care so the primary caregiver can do things like go to the grocery store or get a haircut.

“Some people will use someone they know – from church, a neighbor, a family member not living in the home,” Caton said. Other people will contact a local home care agency, and Caton can provide a professional referral. The agency will conduct an assessment and set up a schedule for the respite care, he added. The voucher can help pay for this service.

Often, caregivers are juggling the demands of a full-time job and family obligations with providing that extra care for a family member in need. There are day programs that provide those needing care with a place to spend the day while the primary caregiver is at work. These programs can cost between $50 -$75 a day, but Koonce said it may be the best option for all parties involved. Day programs offer a way for participants to socialize with one another while being supervised by a staff of caregivers.

They explained the difference between home care and home health. Home care is non-medical care, like preparing meals, light housework, medication reminders and helping a care recipient get from a chair to a bed and back again –any daily activities that person may need help with. Insurance doesn’t cover this expense, but help with paying for it may be available through veteran’s programs or long-term care insurance, for example.

Nurses provide home health care, Koonce said, and includes wound care, administering IV medication and other things that require a doctor’s orders to perform.

“There’s a big push right now for family members to stay comfortably in the home,” Caton said, “because of the skyrocketing cost of health care.” Expect to pay $9,000 -10,000 a month, he said, for a bed in a long-term skilled care facility.

Contact Caton by phone 252.436.2040 ext. 6072 or apply at www.kerrtarcog.gov.

“It’s a pretty simple process,” he said. He or others will complete an assessment – either in home or by telephone – to get started. “We want to be a wholistic, all-encompassing agency (to) help identify those needs or whatever you’re struggling with and help get you to the right place and the right services,” he said.

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TownTalk 5-5-21 VGCC Applied Technologies

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Vance-Granville Community College offers an array of certificate and degree classes under the heading of Applied Technologies – from welding to mechatronics, these programs are designed to put students on a new career path or gain additional skills in their current field of work.

Robinette Fischer chairs VGCC’s applied technology department. She and Rusty Pace, who heads up the school’s welding program, discussed the various areas of study available at the college with John C. Rose on Wednesday’s Town Talk.

Welders are in short supply in the four counties that VGCC serves, Pace said. “There is a shortage of qualified welders,” he said. On top of that, the average age of a qualified welder is late 50’s or close to 60 years, so as more workers reach retirement age, industry will be looking for replacements.

Students in the welding program can earn a two-year degree or diploma, and Pace said evening classes offered at Main Campus provide convenience for those who may be working during the day.

Fischer said she fields calls regularly from businesses and industries asking for candidates to fill job openings. Electricians, heating and cooling (HVAC) technicians and welders are just a few of the jobs that are in demand.

Andrew Lynam of Youngsville, seen here in the Welding shop on VGCC’s Main Campus, is the college’s recipient of the North Carolina Community College System Academic Excellence Award for 2018. (VGCC Photo)

“The jobs are out there,” Fischer said. “And they pay well.” More women are applying to these programs, she said. “We’re trying to market more to women and make it understood that (they are) as capable as anyone else,” she said.  “There’s no reason that women can’t go into those occupations and be successful.”

Pace said students who complete the welding program at VGCC will leave qualified in one of several areas of welding and must meet American Welding Society standards. Successful completion of the program prepares students for at least an entry-level welding job.

Other programs in the applied technologies department offer certificates, diplomas and degrees.

The carpentry program is being offered again after a pause, Fischer said. Other areas of study include electrical system studies for residential and commercial wiring, automotive, HVAC, mechatronics and electrical engineering (geared to a manufacturing environment that includes motors and other types of controls).

Whatever the program, Fischer said students have access to help all along the way. “If you’re wanting to go from ground zero to the top, we’re here for you and we’ll make that possible,” she said. We’ve got people to help you from the time you come in and say what program you’re interested in, getting you registered and started,” Fischer continued.

Pace said he and his fellow instructors help students not just have a job in welding, but have a career in welding. “The best place to start is at Vance-Granville,” he said.

Classes start May 24 for the summer term; the fall semester begins Aug. 16. Visit www.vgcc.edu to learn more.

(VGCC is an advertising client of WIZS and WIZS.com. This is not a paid ad.)

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