The Local Skinny! Lickskillet Dog Grooming Keeps Your Pets Looking Great

/by

Doreen Hood works hard at making sure her canine clients don’t feel like they’re at the dreaded veterinarian’s office. Her Lickskillet Dog Grooming is an inviting spot where dogs come for baths and grooming. It’s like sending your pooch to a doggie day spa.

Hood said she learned all about dog grooming in New York City from a major groomer in the field. Even when she worked as a police officer, she continued to keep her dog grooming skills sharp. Taking up dog grooming as a career was “the best decision I ever made,” she told WIZS’s Trey Snide during the Business Spotlight segment of The Local Skinny! on Monday.

“Each dog is totally different,” Hood said, and she takes those different personalities into account when she works with different clients. “I get to know each dog’s personality,” she said, “what stresses them out and what doesn’t stress them out.” Music is one of the major tools she uses when grooming the dogs, and it’s not unheard of for her to sing to the dogs as she’s working.

She works by appointment only and also offers obedience training.

Hood said she stays pretty busy, and the best way to reach her is by phone at 252.213.3670.

Lickskillet Dog Grooming is located at 132 Fry Pan Lane, in the southern part of Warren County.

Warren County Distributing N95 Masks While Supply Lasts

/by

Warren County local government agencies will distribute N95 masks to the public beginning this week, thanks to NC Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Supplies are limited however, and so the masks will be distributed two at a time on a first-come, first-served basis, according to a press release from Warren County Manager.

The masks will distributed at the following locations:

  • Warren County Health Department, 544 W. Ridgeway St., Warrenton
  • Warren County Department of Social Services, 307 N. Main St, Warrenton
  • Warren County Emergency Services, 890 US Hwy. 158 Bypass, Warrenton

 

Due to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, NC DHHS updated its guidance and is recommending that individuals “get vaccinated, and boosted when they are eligible, wear a mask, and use social distancing in public places.”

 

The department further recommends wearing “a well-fitting, high-quality mask with multiple layers: a surgical or procedure mask, a KN95, or an N95.”

 

The following is general guidance around populations who should not wear an N95 respirator or should be cautious about N95 respirator use:

  • Babies and toddlers under age 2 should never wear cloth face coverings. Children ages 2-4 are encouraged to wear a face covering with adult supervision.
  • Anyone with a disability that makes it hard for them to wear or remove a face covering.
  • Anyone who is deaf and moves their face and mouth to communicate.
  • Anyone who has been advised by a medical professional to not wear a face covering or respirator because of personal health issues.
  • Anyone who has trouble breathing, is unconscious, or unable to remove the face covering without help.

For more information, contact the Warren County Health Department at 252.257.1185, Warren County Department of Social Services at 252.257.5000, or Warren County Emergency Management at 252.257.1191.

NCDA Junior Livestock Scholarship Applications Due Mar. 1

/by

Information from NCDA&CS Livestock Marketing Section

Up to 25 $2,000 scholarships are available, in addition to one $2,500 Farm Credit of N.C. Premier Scholarship.Youth who participated in N.C. State Fair junior livestock competitions are eligible to apply for N.C. State Fair Junior Livestock Scholarships. The deadline to apply is March 1.

All youth who exhibited a livestock animal at the State Fair are eligible regardless of species, class or show placement. Scholarships are good for institutes of higher learning, including community colleges and technical schools. Students must be enrolled in a minimum of 9 course hours.

The scholarship money is raised through the State Fair’s annual Sale of Champions where grand and reserve grand champions are sold at auction. A percentage of the sale total goes into this youth livestock scholarship program.

“I am proud that this scholarship program has helped many young people and their parents pay for their college education,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Since the program started in 2015, we have awarded over $300,000 in scholarships.”

Students will need to submit the completed application, including their State Fair junior livestock experience, a 500-word essay, academic achievements and extracurricular activities they are involved in. Youth are eligible to receive the scholarship a maximum of four times.

Applications can be downloaded at www.ncstatefair.org. Completed application packets should be returned to N.C. State Fair, Attn: Livestock Office, 1010 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1010. For questions, contact Neil Bowman at by email at neil.bowman@ncagr.gov.

NCDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Application Period Open Now Through Mar. 4 At Noon

/by

The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is accepting grant applications for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. Nonprofits and government agencies have until noon on Mar. 4 to submit applications.

Applicants can submit a draft application for staff review by Jan. 26 to gain feedback on their grant proposals. A .pdf of the draft application should be sent to jenni.keith@ncagr.gov.

The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program aims to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in the marketplace. It is managed by the department, through funding by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“In 2021, we awarded $2.9 million for 16 projects across the state, which included one-time funds of $1.6 million from the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. We anticipate $1.2 million in funding this year,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “The success and growth of specialty crops are important as North Carolina agriculture continues to diversify and as the industry inches closer to the $100 billion mark in economic impact.”

The department will accept grant requests up to $200,000 from nonprofit organizations, academia, commodity associations, state and local government agencies, colleges and universities. Grants are not available for projects that directly benefit or provide a profit to a single organization, institution or individual.

Eligible projects must involve fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, culinary herbs and spices, medicinal plants, nursery, floriculture or horticulture crops.

For grant guidelines and an application, go to www.ncspecialtycrops.com. For questions, contact Jenni Keith at 919.707.3158 or jenni.keith@ncagr.gov.

VGCC Logo

VGCC to offer Sustainable Agri-Tech Class

/by

Vance-Granville Community College will soon offer a sustainable agri-tech program at the school’s south campus in Creedmoor. This is a 96 hour program with 30 hours in class and 66 hours on line. The instructor for this class is Kelly Dixon. Classes begin on February 22nd and continue through May 2nd and will be held on Tuesdays from 6 to 9pm. Tuition scholarships are available to those who qualify. For more information contact wearyt@vgcc.edu or call 252-738-3521. Space for the class is limited and those interested are encouraged to register now.

Duke Energy

Damaged Transmission Structure Results in Over 13k Without Power

/by

The widespread power outage in Vance and Warren Counties is over now with all customers restored.

District Manager Tanya Evans with Duke Energy told WIZS News, “Around 2 a.m., a tree fell and damaged a transmission structure in Warren County. As a result, the Warrenton and Henderson North Substations locked out.”

She said the outage affected about 13,780 customers in and around Henderson and Warrenton.

Duke Energy Progress performed “some initial switching and back feeding to restore about half of the customers affected” sooner than the remaining customers’ power could be restored, Evans said.

By 10 a.m., the power company had been able to make repairs to the transmission line and was in the process of energizing the remaining feeders and substations.

As it was explained by Evans, “This process requires testing and load balancing,” but any intermittent and momentary outages were expected to be over by noon or shortly thereafter.

That goal of noon was met as the Duke Energy Progress outage map showed just two customers without power at 12 o’clock.

(Duke Energy Progress is an advertising client of WIZS Radio. This is not a paid ad.)

Kerr Tar Regional Council of Governments

Town Talk: Talent Connect Connects People To Employment

/by

A short informational virtual session could be the jumpstart to a new career path, and Desiree Brooks said staff at NCWorks is available to follow up with individuals who have questions about next steps toward seeking meaningful employment.

Brooks spoke with John C. Rose on Monday’s Town Talk about Tuesday’s 10 a.m. Talent Connect series, sponsored by the Kerr-Tar COG.

The session lasts 10 minutes, she said, but will be chock-full of information for participants.

“There’s a pathway for every person,” she said, adding that there’s no one set way for prospective employees to find a job that suits them and their skill sets.

Participants will have a chance to interact with presenter Helen Bradby during the virtual session – Tues, Jan 11 – Register at: bit.ly/pathways0111.

Anyone without internet access can simply call NCWorks at 252.438.6129 in Henderson or 919.693.2686 in Oxford  to schedule an appointment to learn more.

“We’ll figure out a way to get them the information they need,” Brooks said.

Other virtual sessions are scheduled for Tuesdays in January – the topic for Jan. 18 is professional communication and interview skills (register here – bit.ly/professionalskills0118) and the topic for Jan. 25 is resume building (register here – bit.ly/resumebuilding0125).

These “soft skills” can be important for interviews, Brooks said; prospective employers are looking for new workers who will be a good fit, and job seekers should feel confident when going into an interview.

The Jan. 18 session will give tips for gaining the confidence to kind of help you “shake those nerves…to go in and get the job.”

The Jan. 25 session about resume building will help participants create a resume, which doesn’t necessarily have list a long job history to be a powerful tool. “If you don’t have work experience, that’s OK,” Brooks said. There is plenty that you can put on a resume, from extracurricular activities like church, civic and community service participation.

“All that experience definitely needs to be highlighted on your resume,” she said.

Job seekers can practice those soft skills on Thursday, Jan. 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Oxford NCWorks Center’s hiring event with Express Employment Professionals. The NCWorks Center is located at 111 Hilltop Village off US Hwy 158.

Learn more and bookmark www.kerrtarworks.com.

 

 

Triangle North Grant Cycle Open For 2022; Deadline To Submit Letters Of Interest Mar. 1

/by

Triangle North Healthcare Foundation has announced the launch of its 2022 grant cycle, and is accepting letters of interest through March 1, 2022.

Nonprofit organizations, government agencies and schools are eligible to apply for funding projects that will provide positive impact in one or more of the five focus areas: Child Well-Being, Chronic Disease, Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders, Nutrition and Physical Activity, and Reproductive Health.

The link to the Foundation’s online grant portal is available at   http://www.tnhfoundation.org

Executive Director Val Short said funding local projects brings to life the foundation’s mission to encourage, support, and invest in quality efforts that measurably improve health in the areas it serves.

“Our hope is that the Foundation’s investment of grant funds in our communities will result in long lasting improvements in the health and wellbeing of our children and adults,” Short said in a press statement.

Since 2013, the foundation has invested more than $3.3 million in programs across the four-county region that includes Vance, Granville, Warren and Franklin.

Short and the foundation’s grants coordinator Carolyn Powell are available to discuss ideas for grant projects or to assist with grant writing.  Call 252.430.8532 to schedule an appointment.  Information about current and past funded programs and projects is also available on the website.

A regional healthcare grant-making organization based in Henderson, NC, Triangle North Healthcare Foundation was established in 2011, following the merge of Maria Parham Medical Center and Duke Lifepoint.

NCDOT Bike Helmet Program Puts Free Helmets On Kids’ Heads

/by

The goal of the state Department of Transportation’s annual bicycle helmet initiative is to reduce bicycle injuries and deaths. Applications are available now for agencies to get up to 100 free bike helmets for young cyclists.

As part of the initiative, applicants are encouraged to partner with government and non-government agencies to host bike safety events. Examples of partners include police and fire departments, parks and recreation departments, health departments and community centers, as well as churches and other non-governmental organizations.

Applications are due by 5 p.m. on Feb. 4, 2022, according to information from NCDOT. Applicants may request 25, 50, 75 or 100 helmets and the groups awarded are scheduled to receive the helmets by April 29, 2022.

The selection process has been revised and is no longer limited to government agencies. Helmets will be awarded and distributed once per calendar year in the spring and awardees will have the remainder of the calendar year to host their safety program and then provide a report within 30 days of the event.

The program was started in 2007 and is overseen by the DOT’s integrated mobility division. Money to fund the program comes from sales of the Share The Road specialty license plate. Since its inception, the initiative has provided thousands of helmets to low-income children – more than 30,000 in the past five years alone. Statistics show that less than half of all children wear a helmet while biking, but wearing a helmet can reduce the risk of severe brain injuries by almost 90 percent for children involved in bike accidents.

About 20 bicyclists die in biking accidents each year in North Carolina – one in six of those are under the age of 16. The use of bike helmets was found to reduce head injury by 48 percent, serious head injury by 60 percent, traumatic brain injury by 53 percent, face injury by 23 percent and the total number of cyclists killed or seriously injured by 34 percent.

Visit the NCDOT Bicycle Helmet Initiative webpage for more information and to download the application.

Local Extension Agent Shares Ways To Send Help To Areas Hit By Tornado, Wildfires

/by

The recent weather events in Kentucky, Tennessee, Kansas and other Midwestern states have left devastation in their wake. Kim Woods, N.C. Cooperative extension livestock agent for Granville and Person counties shares a list of resources to help the ravaged areas rebuild.

“Many of you may have been wondering if there is anything that we in North Carolina can do to help our fellow ag folks in Kentucky and Tennessee after the devastating tornado outbreak in those states or the wildfires in Kansas,” Woods wrote in an email right before Christmas.

In Kentucky:

  • Donate money to the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Foundation. All donations will be used to help local producers in need of farm supplies. These donations can be made by calling 859.278.0899 using the Paypal app at https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=56JBAJJYC3RDQ.
  • Mail a check to: KY Cattlemen’s Foundation Attn: Tornado Relief 176 Pasadena Drive, Suite 4,  Lexington, KY 40503In Tennessee:
    • The Tennessee Farm Bureau established a fund to help farmers and ranchers who incurred damage to homes, farms or personal property.

    In Kansas:

    • The Kansas Livestock Association and the Kansas Livestock Foundation are assisting ranchers who were affected by fires and high winds across the state in mid-December. To provide monetary donations, click here. Donations may be tax deductible and 100 percent of all donations will be distributed to producers whose operations were damaged by the fires.