No Blarney! First 300 At Shamrocks On Breckenridge Get Free Hotdog, Chips And Drink

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Free hotdogs, chips and drinks will be available to the first 300 people at next Friday’s Shamrocks on Breckenridge.

Deck yourselves out in green and head downtown on Friday, Mar. 15 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. to enjoy vendors, music and entertainment from the Ballet Arts cloggers.

Southern Charm, located at the corner of Garnett and Breckenridge streets will be open from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. selling green beer and other beverages.

The complimentary food and drink is made possible by event sponsors, organizers said.

Mar. 7 Is Social Security Administration’s “Slam The Scam” Day

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Today is the fifth annual “Slam the Scam” observance to raise awareness about protecting sensitive Social Security information from fraudsters.

The Social Security Administration and its Office of the Inspector General (OIG) are partnering once again to raise public awareness about Social Security imposter scams.

“As public servants, we must use every tool at our disposal to raise awareness and protect the American people against Social Security imposter scams,” said Martin O’Malley, Commissioner of Social Security. “Scammers use fear and deception to scare people out of their critical benefits. We urge everyone to protect their personal information, remain vigilant, do not give money, and report any scam attempts to oig.ssa.gov.”

Keep in mind that Social Security employees will never:

  • tell you that your Social Security number is suspended
  • contact you to demand an immediate payment
  • threaten you with arrest
  • ask for your credit or debit card numbers over the phone
  • request gift cards or cash
  • promise a Social Security benefit approval or increase in exchange for information or money

Social Security employees do contact the public by telephone for business purposes. Ordinarily, the agency calls people who have recently applied for a Social Security benefit, are already receiving payments and require an update to their record, or who have requested a phone call from the agency. If there is a problem with a person’s Social Security number or record, Social Security will typically mail a letter.

Social Security scams–where fraudsters mislead victims into making cash, gift card, or wire transfer payments to fix alleged Social Security number problems or to avoid arrest–are an ongoing government imposter fraud scheme. Social Security impersonation scams have been one of the most common government imposter scams reported to the Federal Trade Commission. Social Security continues to make concerted efforts to address this issue, through extensive outreach and investigative initiatives.

Criminals use sophisticated tactics to trick potential victims into disclosing personal and financial information. Typically, they use these P’s – Pretend, Prize or Problem, Pressure, and Payment. For example, scammers pretend they are from Social Security in phone calls, texts, emails, and direct messages on social media, and claim there is a problem with the person’s Social Security number. The scammer’s caller ID may be spoofed to look like a legitimate government number. Scammers may also send fake documents to pressure people into complying with demands for information or money. Other common tactics include citing “badge numbers,” using fraudulent Social Security letterhead, and creating imposter social media pages to target individuals for payment or personal information.

To report a scam attempt, go to oig.ssa.gov.

“On our fifth National Slam the Scam Day, we are just as committed as we were in 2020. The scammers have not stopped, and we will not stop in our commitment to increase public awareness of these pervasive scams,” said Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General for SSA. “We are grateful for the many partnerships we have formed over the last five years in support of this initiative and the collaborative efforts that have come forth. We must continue to work together to slam the scam.”

For more information, please visit www.ssa.gov/scam and www.ssa.gov/fraud.

 

Mills Stepping In As Interim Vance Economic Development Director

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Newly retired Granville County Economic Development Director Harry Mills is stepping in on a part-time basis to be interim economic development director in Vance County. According to Vance County Manager C. Renee Perry, Mills started Wednesday, Mar. 6 and will be on board to work with McKinley Perkinson, who announced last month that she is stepping away from the position.

“He will start in his official capacity on Mar. 20 as interim until we find a permanent replacement,” Perry said in an email to WIZS News. Perry said she reached out to Mills to see if he’d be interested.

In a phone conversation earlier Thursday, Mills said he looks forward to helping fill in until a successor is hired.

“It was a mutual agreement,” Mills said. “They needed someone…it’s a good opportunity to help and continue the momentum” for development in the county and to be available to help when economic development opportunities arise.

“Harry will bring his enthusiasm and experience to this role. He’s familiar with Vance County and has historically worked with our past Economic Development directors,” Perry said, adding that she looks forward to his expertise in economic development.

The Local Skinny! Pop The Hood And Blowing Out Engines

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For our sponsor, Advance Auto Parts, as part of a paid radio sponsorship on WIZS.

The next time you hear someone say that you need to “blow out the carbon” of your vehicle’s engine, you may want to call that bluff.

With today’s detergent fuels and oils, there ain’t a whole lot of carbon buildup in that engine, folks.

In fact, over-revving an engine can cause more damage – so think twice before pushing the gas pedal to the floor – it could hurt your vehicle’s engine and your pocketbook, if the law pulls you over.

The older rules simply can’t be applied to today’s engines, which are more likely to experience a chip problem or a bad sensor. If your car’s not running smoothly to begin with, forcing it to go faster – and work harder – isn’t going to help.

For instance, if your daily errands or trips through the carpool lines are smooth sailing, but a trip on the interstate raises a red flag when it comes to your vehicle’s performance, it could be that your fuel-to-air mixture is off.

Check in with the pros at Advance Auto Parts when you have questions about how your vehicle’s running. They can point you in the right direction and can let you know what type of additive may be called for.

Consult someone in the know before adding anything to the gas tank or crankcase. It may not be harmful, but it may not help, either.

The information contained in this post is not advice from Advance Auto Parts or WIZS.  Safety First!  Always seek proper help.  This is presented for its informational value only and is part of a paid advertising sponsorship.

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SportsTalk: Rain And Umpire Shortage Are Obstacles For KVA

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“Rain rain go away, come again some other day” might be what’s on the mind of Kerr Vance Academy Athletic Director Mike Joyner.  “We’ve had no baseball, no soccer and only one golf match,” Joyner said on Thursday’s SportsTalk.  Rain has caused seven baseball games to be cancelled this year.  “We have nowhere for the water to drain,” Joyner added.

In addition to the rain, rescheduling has been difficult due to ongoing umpire shortages. “We need better recruiting,” Joyner said of the shortage.  Joyner also said disrespect from fans and low wages has made it difficult to recruit umpires. Additionally, Joyner said that not enough young people are going into the ranks as umpires to replace those who are aging out.

There is a bright side to the cancellations.  “We had a couple of player with nagging injuries and these cancelled games have allowed them time to heal,” Joyner stated.  With better weather forecast next week, KVA hopes to get all of their spring sports back out playing.

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TownTalk: Community Resource Festival Coming To VGCC

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Organizers of the second Community Resource Festival say a multitude of vendors will come together under one roof to share information and network with individuals on Wednesday, Mar. 13 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center.

More than 200 people came out last year to the first event, and VGCC’s Stephanie Tolbert and Huff Consulting’s Michele Walker hope more people will walk through the doors this year to visit with the 75 vendors who will be in attendance.

The vendors are a cross-section of civic organizations, all shapes and sizes of nonprofits, as well as local businesses, Walker said on Thursday’s TownTalk. She is the sales and accounts manager for Huff Consulting, and had the idea to put this festival on last year.

As VGCC dean of Business, Applied Tech and Public Service, Tolbert joined forces with Huff to plan the day’s events this year. She said everyone who stops in during the day will leave with a ball full of freebies, “but more importantly, knowledge about resources that they didn’t know existed in their backyards.”

Tolbert said the festival is a time for networking and forming new partnerships in the larger community.

The Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce is one of the event sponsors. In a written statement, Chamber President Sandra Wilkerson said “This is about
opportunities for all the people in our community to gather knowledge, opportunities and tools to make their lives and businesses more successful and engaging…Our joint efforts with Huff Consulting, Vance Granville Community College and Granville County Chamber of Commerce are designed to make us all
stronger, better, more informed and progressive.”

Granville County Chamber Executive Director Cynthia Ratliff encourages business and industry representatives to check out the event as well. In a statement, Ratliff called the community resource festival an “invaluable opportunity for business professionals to equip themselves and their teams with the tools they need for success.”

Be prepared to learn, network and share information, but make sure you bring an appetite – Smokin’ Souls and Bun on the Run food trucks will be set up on site as well. There will be a fun photo booth for some selfie fun and door prizes will be awarded every 30 minutes.

David Bullock with VGCC also will be on site with a drone demonstration.

Whether you only have a few minutes or can spend a few hours, the community resource festival will not disappoint.

 

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TownTalk: Fire Department Awards And Dinner

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The City of Henderson’s fire department took some time recently to gather for dinner and fellowship as they reflected on events of the past year, honored current firefighters and remembered the late fire chief Steve Cordell.

Chief Tim Twisdale, a guest on Wednesday’s TownTalk, said the Feb. 22 event was special in many ways, not the least of which was beginning the evening with a moment of silence to remember Cordell, who died in January 2023.

Oftentimes, the public sees firefighters in bulky turnout gear in the line of duty or in more casual clothing around the fire house making sure all the vehicles are in tip-top shape. But Twisdale said this occasion was reason to pull out the Class A uniforms and really show off – on this evening, firefighters learned who was named 2023 Firefighter of the Year and who would be the recipient of the Chief’s Award.

“This is the 47th year that our department has been having a gathering to honor our members and the accomplishments they’ve had throughout the year,” Twisdale noted.

Jeffrey Payne Watson was named Firefighter of the Year and Devin Hall received the Chief’s Award. Twisdale said both men are real assets to the department.

Watson came on board in 2021 – in fact, Twisdale was on the interview board when he was hired and then worked with him on the same shift. He saw Watson every day there in the beginning, and Twisdale said he quickly saw Watson as a natural leader. “He’s one of those go-to persons,” Twisdale said, someone who makes sure that everyone comes out of a situation with a better grasp and understanding than they’d had before.

Deputy State Fire Marshal Tony Bailey was the guest speaker for the event, and Twisdale said he appreciated Bailey’s continuing support  over the years as the fire department has been able to attain – and maintain – a coveted ISO rating of 2.

Chief’s Award recipient Hall commutes three days a week to his job at the Henderson Fire Department from his home in South Hill, VA.

When considering nominees for the Chief’s Award, Twisdale said he’s looking “for someone who really comes into the doors every day as a positive example” for others, making contributions not only to the community but to the brotherhood of firefighters.

“He is a constant source of information,” Twisdale said of Hall. “He shares his knowledge an skills.”

Twisdale noted several recent promotions within the department, including Capt. Capt. Justin Crowder and Capt. Justin Simmons, who is in charge of Engine 1. Simmons’s primary duties are looking after a three-member crew of that truck, the chief said.

As new battalion chiefs, Rick Puryear and Kyle Holtzman supervise the shifts of firefighters who protect the city 24 hours a day.

Hall and fellow firefighter Chase Carter have risen to the rank of engineer. Both men are a big part of the department’s ladder company, Twisdale said. The fire department is looking at ways to replace the aging truck, which came into service in 2005. Back then, it cost $800,000.

Like everything else, he said, inflation has driven up prices on fire trucks, too.

“If we sign a contract today, it’d be $2.1 million,” he said.

Check out the year-in-review video that Engineer Carter created for the awards banquet. You can find it on the fire department’s Facebook page. Chief Cordell figures prominently in the video, and his memory will live on, Twisdale said.

“We try to honor his memory by trying to move forward each day,” he said.

 

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Failure to Stop at Stop Sign Results in HPD Making Drug Arrests

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According to Henderson Police, on March 2 around 11:27 p.m., an officer observed a blue Hyundai passenger vehicle fail to stop for the stop sign at Pettigrew and Walnut Streets. The officer initiated a traffic stop and observed an object being thrown from the vehicle on Pettigrew Street.

The vehicle stopped on Orange Street and the occupants were detained.

Another officer was able to locate the object that was thrown from the vehicle, which ended up being approximately 172 dosage units of heroin and 6 grams of crack cocaine. A search of the vehicle located 24 grams of marijuana.

Ry Wynn, 21, of Briggs Road, Henderson and Antarious Harrington, 28, of Barclay Lane, Henderson were arrested and charged with possession with intent to manufacture and deliver cocaine, heroin, and marijuana; manufacture cocaine; and possession of drug paraphernalia. Wynn was also charged with misdemeanor flee to elude.

Both received no bond and were remanded to the Vance County Jail.