4-H Logo

Meeting Set For Mar. 8 To Plan For Annual 4-H Poultry Sale

/by

Parents of children between the ages of 5 and 18 with an interest in raising and showing poultry should attend a virtual meeting next week to learn about plans for the 2022 Four County 4-H Poultry Show and Sale.

The meeting will be held via Zoom beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Mar. 8. The link is

https://go.ncsu.edu/4countypoultry.

The program provides 10 birds to each youth participant to raise, show and then sell. Each participant must show and sell three of the 10 birds they raise.

The birds will be auctioned at the sale, with proceeds going to the participant and to to the Four County 4-H group. Trophies also will be awarded.

Direct questions to your county’s 4-H agent.

  • In Vance County, contact Wykia Macon at 252.438.8188
  • In Granville County, contact Lina Howe or Kim Woods at 919.603.1350
  • In Warren County, contact Stephen Misenheimer or Matthew Place at 252.257.3640
  • In Franklin County, contact Meg Wyatt or Martha Mobley at 919.496.3344

Warren Plans Sessions For Residents To Comment, Learn More About Comprehensive Development Plan

/by

Warren County’s comprehensive development plan team is conducting two public engagement sessions that will be held over the course of the next month.

The first public engagement session will be held on Monday, Feb. 28 at the Warren County Armory, 501 US Highway 158 Business East in Warrenton. The session will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The second public session will be held Saturday, Mar. 12 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at the Drewry Fire Department, 125 Firefighter Rd, Manson, according to information from the office of County Manager Vincent Jones.

These public sessions will be floating events that allow community members to ask questions, provide feedback and be involved in the future planning of Warren County. Participants will have the opportunity to visit tables with information, take the public engagement survey and look at maps of Warren County to gain more information.

Light refreshments will be provided for both sessions.

These sessions are part of the comprehensive development plan updates, a 10-month process that will result in updates to the existing 2002 plan, which was meant to run through this year.

A comprehensive development plan aims to address and guide growth and development for the County. Its focus is on the areas within the county’s jurisdiction and along the edges of town limits. Public participation will play a key role through these conversations and feedback. The comprehensive development plan will help to shape the vision and priorities for the future of Warren County.

The plan will update the 2002 Land Development Plan and address new issues and priorities that have come forward in the 20 years since then. This is a guiding document upon which land use decisions are based.

To follow along with the comprehensive plan process, visit planwarrencountync.com. For more information, contact the Warren County comp plan team at compplan@warrencountync.gov.

SportsTalk: Hunt Is Getting The Feel Of The Warren Co. Eagles’ AD Position

/by

It was only a week ago Victor Hunt, head football coach at Warren Co. High School, was named as athletic director at the school. He characterizes his first few days as a time to grow and learn.

This past football season Hunt took the Eagles to the state playoffs, something that hasn’t happened in quite a few seasons for Warren County.  The team made it to the second round before falling. He feels that injuries and Covid hampered the Eagles’ effort last season and they would have been better had those problems not been a part of the season. Despite the Eagles improvement on the grid iron Hunt was not happy. “When you don’t win a championship, you don’t feel like you’ve accomplished enough,” Hunt said.

However, Hunt is very pleased with the showing of the Eagles Women’s basketball team.  With only seven to eight players, the Eagles are in the state playoffs. “They have to play a lot of minutes,” Hunt said of the girls. “They never complain,” he added.  According to Hunt, the program is taking steps in the right direction.

It’s been harder for the men’s team which finished the season at 2-21. “It was tough,” Hunt said of the Eagles season.  He said half of the team had never played organized basketball before. Despite the losing record Hunt remains optimistic, “I don’t look at losses as losses but as lessons.”

The Eagles are now gearing up for spring sports with, what he describes, as a good group of kids on the baseball team and the highest participation in quite some time for softball. Track and field will get underway next week.

 

Oak Level United Church of Christ Old-Fashioned Service and Take-Out Brunch

/by

The Christian Women Working Together of Oak Level United Church of Christ in Drewry will have for the public an old-fashioned heritage church service and take out brunch this Sunday, February 20th after church.

The food will be ready and served for take out only.

Mrs. Mary Ragland Reid told WIZS the menu will be baked chicken, greens, tomato pudding, yams, fatback and black eyed peas, homemade rolls, cornbread, butter-pecan cake and lemonade.

Worship begins at 11 a.m. for the morning service.

The to-go plates will be served after the service.

It will be an old fashioned church service, complete with old fashioned dress attire, and delicious food.

Everyone is invited.

Located at 5631 Jacksontown Rd, Manson, NC 27553.

Got To Be NC Festival Set For May 20-22 At State Fairgrounds

/by

Planning is underway for the 2022 Got to Be NC Festival and registration is open now for commercial vendors and homegrown marketplace vendors to participate in the three-day event coming up in May.

The annual event will be held at the N.C. State Fairgrounds in Raleigh from May 20-22. It will feature food, wine and beer from across the state, according to information from the N.C. Department of Agriculture.

The festival also will feature one of the largest displays of antique tractors and farm equipment in the Southeast, and organizers are looking for tractor collectors and clubs to be part of the event. Plans include a daily tractor parade through the fairgrounds for tractors in working order. Participation is free and open to individuals and clubs, but pre-registration is required. Contact Pat Short at 336.706.9796 to register or for questions. National farm broadcaster Max Armstrong will be on hand to announce the Sunday, May 22, tractor parade lineup.

Food concessionaires, commercial vendors and organizations interested in exhibiting at the festival have until March 1 to complete their application at ncstatefair.org. For more information, contact Letrice Midgett, commercial space administrator, at 919-839-4502 or email at Letrice.Midgett@ncagr.gov or phone her at 919.839.4502.

April 1 is the deadline for North Carolina-based food and beverage companies to register for the festival. Prospective vendors must be members of the Got to Be NC marketing program. Got to Be NC program members should contact Sherry Barefoot at sherry.barefoot@ncagr.gov with questions.

Registration forms and vendor applications for the Homegrown Marketplace are available at https://gottobenc.com/event/gtbnc-festival/.

High School Seniors Interested In Health Care Have Scholarship Opportunity From Triangle North Health Foundation

/by

Area high school seniors with an eye on college in the fall are getting their ducks in a row  – or have already gotten their ducks in a row – to be ready for their next adventure once those high school tassels have been turned in a few months.

But those students with an interest in pursuing a health or medical career have an opportunity to apply for a scholarship to offset tuition costs.

Triangle North Healthcare Foundation is offering a scholarship that will be awarded to one student in each of the four counties that TNHF serves – Vance, Granville, Warren and Franklin  – to the tune of $10,000.

Students should submit completed applications to their guidance counselors by March 11, 2022. Each high school in the four-county region may nominate one candidate. The scholarships will be paid directly to the schools in 2 $5,000 payments.

Winners will be announced in the spring. Funds may be used for tuition, room, board and books.

Visit www.tnhfoundation.org for details about scholarship criteria and to download an application.

Warren Residents Asked To Weigh In On Comprehensive Development Plan Update

/by

-Information courtesy of Warren County Community & Economic Development Director Charla Duncan

Warren County is starting a new phase in its comprehensive development plan process. These comprehensive development plan updates are a ten-month process that will result in updates to the existing 2002 plan, which was meant to run through 2022.

Public participation will play a key role through these conversations and feedback. The comprehensive development plan will help to shape the vision and priorities for the future of Warren County.

Warren County’s comprehensive development plan team is conducting a survey that will be available to through the end of March 2022. Find a link to the survey via the county’s website warrencountync.com.

The survey can also be found online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WarrenCo_CLUP_Survey.  Hard copies of the survey can also be found at the Warren County Administration Building (602 W. Ridgeway St., Warrenton), Warren County Memorial Library (119 Front St., Warrenton), and the Warren County Senior Center (435 W. Franklin St., Warrenton).

Participants may fill out the survey and either scan, mail or return their responses in person to the Warren County Planning and Code Enforcement office located at 542 West Ridgeway Street in Warrenton, NC 27589. If you would like to scan the copy of a survey, please email your completed copy to compplan@warrencountync.gov.

​The comprehensive development plan will update the 2002 land development plan and address new issues and priorities that have come forward in the years since then. The plan may address several topics as determined by the community but generally a land use plan addresses land use, housing, infrastructure, transportation, economic development, agriculture, recreation, and natural resources. This is a guiding document upon which land use decisions are based.

To follow along with the comprehensive plan process, visit planwarrencountync.com. For more information, contact the Warren County comp plan team at compplan@warrencountync.gov.

 

Warren Co. Memorial Library

Warren Library Announces Events During Black History Month

/by

The Warren County Library is promoting several upcoming events as part of its Black History Month celebration.

On Thursday, Feb. 24, the library has scheduled  a virtual meeting featuring celebrated historian Dr. Carlton Wilson. Wilson is dean of the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities at N.C. Central University.  The event begins at 3 p.m. on Zoom. Join the live event at www.tinyurl.com/WCMLDrWilson22 or call 301.715.8592 to join by phone. The meeting ID is 834 7607 7501 and the password is 169851. The library also will air the program in its community room.

The N.C. Humanities Council will have a virtual book discussion fand interactive panel conversation on Monday, Feb. 28 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss Thomas Healy’s book Soul City: Race, Equality, and the Lost Dream of an American Utopia. Participants do not need to read the book to attend. The discussion panel will explore the events surrounding Warren County’s own Soul City. This event features author Thomas Healy and Dr. Kofi Boone in a conversation moderated by North Carolina African American Heritage Commission Associate Director Adrienne Nierde. Registration is required. You can register for this virtual program at https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_sunAenwJTpG51JDWIOJ0Vw.

Visit the Black History Month Information Station at the library during the month of February to learn more. The informational display will provide an overview of the history behind Black History Month as well as many relevant books to choose from. Pick up a calendar at the library or visit the library’s website (www.wcmlibrary.org) for more information regarding programs and events. All library programs are free to access. Call the library for more information at 252.257.4990. The library is located at 119 S. Front Street, Warrenton NC 27589.

NC Dept of Agriculture

Updated State Forest Action Plan Approved, Ready For Use

/by

 

– Story courtesy of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services

North Carolina’s updated forest action plan has been approved by the USDA Forest Service and is now ready to be implemented by forestry stakeholders across the state.
The plan is a thorough review of the state’s forestland, focusing on changes and trends that have occurred since 2010. The plan not only evaluates past and current forest conditions, but also addresses factors that may impact forest health and sustainability moving forward.

Ninety-six percent of the state’s 18.75 million acres of forests is timberland, according to the plan, which classifies it as capable of commercial production and not in reserved status or unproductive. Most of the forestland in Vance County is privately owned, according to the details in the plan.

“Input from our forestry partners, along with the efforts of stakeholder working groups and our forest service staff, has paved the way for this plan,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “With the continued work of our N.C. Forest Service and forestry partners across the state, this plan will serve as a roadmap for efforts on the ground to protect, conserve and enhance our forest resources and the many benefits we enjoy from them.”

Updating North Carolina’s Forest action plan was a collective effort, involving feedback from nearly 70 organizations on the conditions, needs and opportunities of North Carolina’s forests. 

Many of the recommended strategies identified in North Carolina’s initial forest action plan, which was released in 2010 as a result of the 2008 Farm Bill, have been successfully put into action. Among those accomplishments have been reforestation projects, prescribed burns and the mitigation of forest fuels to reduce wildfire risk. Longleaf restoration and the conservation of priority species and habitats have made significant gains as well.

“One trend worth noting has been the collaboration between new partners, often resulting in opportunities for private forest landowners and for land conservation that may have otherwise been unavailable,” said Assistant Agriculture Commissioner Scott Bissette. “The intent is for all forest stakeholders in North Carolina to use this plan as a guide for including applicable strategies into their organization’s efforts so we can collectively roll out this plan, keeping our woodlands healthy, resilient and productive.”

To learn more about North Carolina’s updated forest action plan, the national priorities and goals behind it and the plan’s associated Geospatial Viewer, visit https://www.ncforestactionplan.com/.

NC Homeowner Assistance Fund Open Statewide

/by

North Carolina Homeowners Financially Impacted by Pandemic May Be Eligible for Housing-Related Help

— press release

The NC Homeowner Assistance Fund is now accepting applications from North Carolina homeowners whose finances were impacted by the pandemic and who need assistance with housing-related expenses. Established through the 2021 American Rescue Plan to prevent mortgage delinquencies, defaults, displacements and foreclosures for homeowners experiencing financial difficulties due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Fund offers assistance of up to $40,000 for qualified homeowners as long as funding is available.

“The economic impact of COVID-19 has been felt by many North Carolinians,” said Scott Farmer, executive director of the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency, which is administering the NC Homeowner Assistance Fund. “This program is designed to help homeowners who are experiencing pandemic-related financial hardships hold on to their homes while they get back on their feet. Ensuring that families have stable housing has always been our mission and that has become even more critical during this ongoing public health crisis.”

For qualified homeowners, the fund offers:

• Housing payment assistance for primary residence in North Carolina (for example, single-family home, townhome, condo or mobile home).

• Assistance for mortgage reinstatement to catch up on late payments (first or second mortgages) or other housing-related costs due to a period of forbearance, delinquency or default.

• Assistance covering other housing-related costs such as homeowner’s insurance, flood insurance, mortgage insurance, homeowner’s association dues/fees or delinquent property taxes to prevent foreclosure.

Homeowners may be eligible for assistance if they are experiencing financial hardship due to job loss or business closure, reduction in hours or pay, difficulty obtaining new employment, death of a spouse or co-borrower or increased expenses due to the pandemic. Increased expenses can be due to health care, the need to care for a family member, increased child care costs due to school closures or increased costs associated with quarantine. Applicants must be seeking assistance for a primary residence in North Carolina and meet income and other requirements.

Homeowners can learn more and apply for help by calling 1-855-MY-NCHAF (1-855-696-2423) or by visiting NCHomeownerAssistance.gov.