News 10/23/19
100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm
Trooper Injured During Traffic Stop 10-22-19
According to a press release from the North Carolina Department of Public Safety and the NC Highway Patrol, on October 22, 2019 at approximately 7:59 p.m., a member of the State Highway Patrol was struck while conducting a traffic stop on US 1 in Vance County. The involved member was in the process of conducting a traffic stop on US 1 northbound near Sunrock Road when he was struck while outside of his patrol vehicle. A nearby trooper responded to the scene and immediately provided medical aid to the injured member. The injured member was flown by helicopter to a nearby hospital and is in serious condition. The driver that had struck the member has been taken into custody at this time. Further details will be provided in a forthcoming release.
In addition to the press release information, WIZS News has learned the name of the injured trooper and that he primarily works in the Franklin County area. Since the injured trooper’s name has not yet officially been released by the NCSHP, WIZS is waiting on releasing his name as well.
Also, charged in connection with this case is Justin O. Venable of the Thomas Road in the Williamsboro community, according to Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame. Brame said Venable was confined to the Vance County Jail under a $35,000 bond. Venable faces charges of felony failure to move over, hit and run, DWI and possession of an open container.
Annual Show, Shine Event Draws Estimated 25,000 Visitors to Henderson
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The 18th Annual Show, Shine, Shag & Dine event held in downtown Henderson this past Friday and Saturday featured over 450 cars, 20 Corbitt vehicles, two cruise-ins, four bands, two DJs, 44 vendors and an estimated 25,000 visitors, according to Vance County Tourism Director Pam Hester.
Henderson Mayor Eddie Ellington said, “This was another positive, progressive day for Henderson and a testament of teamwork at its best. For the streets of downtown to be full of thousands of people shows what we truly have to offer and we are looking forward to many more days like this in the future.”
Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce President Michele Burgess said, “It was just a great day to be in Vance County on Friday and Saturday. Our Chamber was busy leading up to the event answering phone calls from folks wanting to know names of hotels, hours of operation, if dogs were allowed and other similar type questions. For the first time, our Chamber and presenting sponsor Boyd Chevrolet helped to sponsor a band on the main stage at Breckenridge Street from 3 – 6 p.m. It was well-received, but the late afternoon cool temperatures and drizzle probably sent a few home early.
I personally met and talked with visitors from Mebane, NC, Richmond and Charlottesville, VA, and Darlington, SC who drove in to visit our town. Vance County Tourism had the event well organized and there were plenty of local volunteers who stepped up to help. It was just a fun day to enjoy meeting up with local neighbors and meeting new visitors.”
The Corbitt Preservation Association’s Tom Burleson told our Susan Rose of WIZS that 39 visitors came to the old Bennett Perry house at Church and Chestnut Street to visit the Corbitt Museum, a record for a single day.
In addition to a Corbitt car, which is the only one of its kind known of at this point, the association also had a rare Corbitt fire truck on display in front of NC’s oldest operating fire station in downtown Henderson.
You can join the Corbitt Preservation Association and see lots more by typing Corbitt into the search box on Facebook.
In a Facebook conversation between WIZS and listener Rosemarie Renn, Renn said, “It was a great day and a great event. Pam Hester, Norman Dickerson and everyone involved did a fantastic job. In fact, it was the best in 18 years because there were a variety of food vendors and other vendors, something for everyone instead of just car stuff like it was in the past.”
The 18th Annual Show, Shine, Shag & Dine event held in downtown Henderson featured over 450 cars, 20 Corbitt vehicles, two cruise-ins, four bands, two DJs, 44 vendors and an estimated 25,000 visitors. (WIZS photo)
The Corbitt Preservation Association displayed a rare Corbitt fire truck in front of NC’s oldest operating fire station in downtown Henderson. (WIZS photo)
The Corbitt Preservation Association displayed the body of a Corbitt automobile, recently found in Greensboro, NC, which is the only known one of its kind. (WIZS photo)
VGCC’s Dr. Levy Brown Selected to Attend Prestigious Thomas Lakin Institute
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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College
Dr. Levy Brown, vice president of learning, student engagement & success at Vance-Granville Community College, has been selected to participate in the prestigious Thomas Lakin Institute for Mentored Leadership presented by the Presidents’ Round Table.
Dr. Levy Brown, vice president of learning, student engagement & success at Vance-Granville Community College, has been selected to participate in the prestigious Thomas Lakin Institute for Mentored Leadership presented by the Presidents’ Round Table. (VGCC photo)
Dr. Levy Brown, a resident of Youngsville, North Carolina is responsible for leading and working collaboratively with faculty and staff in the areas of academic programs, teaching and learning, student success, student services, enrollment management, K-12 partnerships and other areas at the Vance-Granville.
Prior to joining Vance-Granville, he served as Dean of Arts and Sciences at Lenoir Community College located in Kinston, North Carolina. Brown has a Bachelor of Science in communication from East Carolina University, a Master of Library Science from North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina and an earned Doctorate in Education with a concentration in Higher Education Administration from East Carolina University.
Hosted October 20-25, 2019 in Kansas City, Missouri, The Lakin Institute seeks African-American participants whose experience and credentials indicate they are ready to attain the highest academic positions. The program is an opportunity for open dialogue with chancellors, presidents, and CEOs. It covers all aspects of academic leadership.
More than 300 participants have attended The Lakin Leadership Mentoring Program since its inception in 1994. The Institute has the highest graduate placement rate of any leadership institute in the United States. It is named in honor of Dr. Thomas Lakin, former Chancellor of the Ventura County (CA) Community College District.
Town Talk 10/22/19: Hicks Teaches Students to Use ‘I Power’ to Combat Bullying
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Teresa Hicks, counselor at Carver Elementary School, was on Tuesday’s edition of Town Talk to continue WIZS’ weekly series in recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. WIZS has featured local organizations involved in various aspects of domestic violence each Tuesday in October.
The focus of this week’s segment was on younger victims of domestic violence – elementary school children – and how exposure to violent situations increases the risks of bullying.
To combat bullying and to work on students’ self-esteem, Hicks developed a strategy she coined “I Power.” “I Power is a way to make a situation that could be negative, better,” Hicks explained. “It gives students a voice and allows them to advocate for themselves. I tell them to speak up and practice using your voice.”
The key is for students to become comfortable expressing their opinions and feelings in a respectful manner. Hicks said, “This can be as simple as saying ‘I like strawberry ice cream’ when someone else says they don’t like strawberry ice cream.”
Expressing their opinions on seemingly simple matters can give students the confidence needed to stand up for themselves in more serious situations, according to Hicks.
Hicks said she tells her K-5 students, who are often interested in superheroes, that “you can be a superhero too; use your own I Power.”
To hear the interview with Hicks in its entirety, please click the play button below. Listen live to WIZS’ Town Talk Monday-Friday at 11 a.m. on 1450AM, 100.1 FM or online at www.wizs.com.
Pesticide Collection Day Scheduled for Warren, Surrounding Counties
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-Information courtesy Paul McKenzie, Agricultural Extension Agent, Vance/Warren Counties
NC Cooperative Extension will offer a Pesticide Collection Day for residents in Warren and surrounding counties on Tuesday, November 5, 2019. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the NC Cooperative Extension office located at 158 Rafters Ln. in Warrenton, NC.
NC Cooperative Extension will offer this service in collaboration with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The local site manager will be Matthew Place, Agricultural Extension Agent for Warren County.
Nearly all pesticide products will be accepted, including herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, etc. For liquid pesticide containers larger than 5 gallons or for unlabeled pesticides, please contact the NC Cooperative Extension office for information before bringing to the collection event. Although no gas cylinders will be accepted, assistance information can be provided.
For more information, contact Matthew Place at the NC Cooperative Extension office at (252) 257-3640.
Dept. of Justice Awards $5 Million to Address NC School Violence
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-Press Release, U.S. Department of Justice
The Department of Justice announced it has awarded more than $85.3 million to bolster school security—including funding to educate and train students and faculty—and support first responders who arrive on the scene of a school shooting or other violent incident.
“These federal resources will help to prevent school violence and give our students the support they need to learn, grow, and thrive,’ said Attorney General William P. Barr. “By training faculty, students and first responders, and by improving school security measures, we can make schools and their communities safer.”
“Preventing violence in our schools is critical to the safety and security of all of our communities,” said Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina. “These funds authorized by the Department of Justice will be used to better prepare school faculty, students and law enforcement to prevent, detect, and respond to security threats.”
The grants award more than $5 million in funding to prevent violence in schools in North Carolina. President Trump signed the STOP School Violence Act into law March 2018, authorizing grants that are designed to improve threat assessments, train students and faculty to provide tips and leads and prepare law enforcement officers and emergency professionals to respond to school shootings and other violent incidents.
The grant programs are managed by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance, within the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services manage the programs and administer the grants, which include funds to:
- Develop school threat assessment teams and pursue technological solutions to improve reporting of suspicious activity in and around schools;
- Implement or improve school safety measures, including coordination with law enforcement, as well as the use of metal detectors, locks, lighting and other deterrent measures;
- Train law enforcement to help deter student violence against others and themselves;
- Improve notification to first responders through the implementation of technology that expedites emergency notifications;
- Develop and operate anonymous reporting systems to encourage safe reporting of potential school threats;
- Train school officials to intervene when mentally ill individuals threaten school safety; and
- Provide training and technical assistance to schools and other awardees in helping implement these programs.
For more details about these individual award programs, as well as listings of individual 2019 awardees, visit https://go.usa.gov/xVJuV.
News 10/22/19
100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm
City Manager Talks Flood Ordinance, Address Identification, Bulletproof Vests
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City Manager Frank Frazier discussed a few of the key bullet points of the October 14 Henderson City Council meeting on WIZS’ Town Talk last week, including:
Henderson-Vance County Emergency Operations Plan
Brian Short, director of the Henderson-Vance Emergency Operations Center, is currently working with local law enforcement and fire personnel to update the emergency operations plan in light of recent enhancements to 911 and GPS tracking.
In August, H-V Emergency Operations upgraded to a new telecommunications system known as “Next Generation 911,” allowing for faster digital communication between the public, participating 911 centers and emergency personnel.
In addition to faster call processing, Short said in a previous interview with WIZS that the Next Generation infrastructure will eventually allow for video chats with callers, improved 911 texting speed and faster identification of GPS coordinates.
While faster GPS identification will save precious time in an emergency, Frazier said the City and County are working together on updating addresses in the system and discussing ways to better physically identify properties.
“We aren’t looking at changing anyone’s address,” explained Frazier. “We have some residents that currently do not physically present their address in a location that fire, police or other emergency services can quickly identify.”
Frazier said street numbers posted on mailboxes or the front of homes can save time in an emergency situation and will be a topic of discussion for the City moving forward.
Enforcing Minimum Housing Codes
With the recent hiring of an additional full-time code enforcer, Frazier said the City is beginning to ramp up enforcement of dwellings not meeting minimum housing standards.
Demolition of two dwellings – 302 Harriett Street and 726 College Street – were approved at the October City Council meeting. According to Frazier, the owners of the properties requested and were granted 60 days to bring the units up to code before demolition begins.
For additional information on building codes, please visit the City of Henderson’s code compliance site (click here).
Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance
Following a scheduled public hearing with no one speaking in favor of or in opposition to updates to a local flood ordinance, the City Council approved proposed amendments.
Changes to the ordinance mirror recommendations made by the State of NC, and will keep Henderson eligible for assistance if a qualifying situation occurs.
While the rules and regulations for what qualifies for FEMA assistance and grants after a flood remain “very restrictive,” Frazier said improved mapping completed after the destruction of Hurricane Floyd in 1999 makes it easier to determine if your home or business is located in a flood zone.
“Henderson is primarily at the top of the ridge and we don’t have as many flood plain areas as other communities,” Frazier said. “We do have better mapping now and, with minor revisions to the flood ordinance, we are in much better shape than we were years ago to handle this responsibility.”
Purchase of Bulletproof Vests for the Henderson Police Department
The Henderson Police Department will soon be receiving new bulletproof vests thanks to approximately $8,000 in budgeted federal money.
“Bulletproof vests have an expiration date and have to be replaced,” said Frazier. We are sticking to the guidelines to keep our officers safe and equipped with the best.”
To hear Frazier’s Town Talk interview in its entirety, please click here. Frazier’s segment begins at the 15:00 mark. Listen live to WIZS’ Town Talk Monday-Friday at 11 a.m. on 1450AM, 100.1 FM or online at www.wizs.com.
Reminder: ‘Shrek the Musical’ Coming to McGregor Hall This Weekend!
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-Information courtesy McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center
Everyone’s favorite movie is coming to McGregor Hall’s stage! DreamWorks Classic’s SHREK THE MUSICAL is the story of dreams becoming reality for a group of misunderstood fairy tale creatures who learn that our differences are what make us strong.
This Broadway-styled musical will feature glamorous costumes, a magical set, and a LIVE, professional orchestra.
The six performance dates include:
- October 25-26, November 1-2, 2019, at 8 p.m
- October 27, November 3, 2019, at 2 p.m.
“Soiree in the Swamp”
In addition to the performance, kids can join Shrek, Fiona, Donkey and all of their friends for a “Soiree in the Swamp.”
Children of all ages will enjoy yummy delicacies, entertainment by Shrek and his friends and pictures with their favorite characters.
Activities will be held on McGregor Hall’s stage in the swamp set on Saturday, October 26 and Saturday, November 2, 2019, at 2 p.m.
All children must be accompanied by a paying adult.
Tickets for both “Soiree in the Swamp” and McGregor Hall’s October 25 – November 3 production of Dreamwork’s “Shrek The Musical” are available by:
DROP-IN: 201 Breckenridge Street, Henderson, N.C. Monday – Friday 1:30 – 5:30 p.m
CALL: (252) 598-0662 (M-F 1:30 – 5:30 p.m.)
CLICK HERE: www.McGregorHall.org (Use the eTix official site, online fees apply)
(This is not a paid advertisement)