American Flag

WIZS to Honor Veterans With Special ‘Heroes We Remember’ Program

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100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

Veterans make up a special part of our nation, state and community. In honor of Veterans Day, WIZS Radio presents a special program this Saturday, November 14, 2020, at 10:30 a.m. featuring music performed by the President’s United States Marine Band.

Titled “Heroes We Remember,” this program, sponsored by JM White Funeral Home, will feature music and a message that will inspire and give thanks to those who have served this country.

Be sure to listen live this Saturday at 1450 AM, 100.1 FM or online at www.wizs.com.

NC Forest Service

N.C. Forest Service Offers Discount to Military Members for Seedling Orders

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-Press Release, N.C. Forest Service

In recognition of the service and sacrifice of members of the armed forces, the N.C. Forest Service is offering a 20 percent discount on tree seedling orders placed by active, honorably discharged or retired military personnel during the month of November. The discount applies to the first $500 of all new orders, up to a $100 discount.

“We are proud to offer this discount to our active military personnel and veterans,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Growing new forests and re-growing forests after harvest are critical to the long-term success of our forest industry in North Carolina. Our active military members and veterans are important partners in that success.”

To qualify for the discount, proof of service is required. A valid military ID, Department of Defense Form 214/215 or National Guard Bureau Form 22/22A is acceptable. Standard shipping rates still apply. 

Tree seedlings may be ordered by calling 1-888-NCTREES or by visiting www.buynctrees.com.

The N.C. Forest Service Nursery program ensures that residents of North Carolina have access to the best native trees and genetics available for use on their land. Current available inventory includes longleaf pine, loblolly pine, white pine, a variety of hardwoods and native understory grasses.

For more information, contact County Ranger Rob Montague at the Granville/Vance office of the N.C. Forest Service at (919) 693-3154 or at rob.montague@ncagr.gov.

NCDHHS

NCDHHS Releases New Guidance for Thanksgiving Celebrations, Black Friday Shopping

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The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services released new guidance for Thanksgiving celebrations and Black Friday shopping to help North Carolinians gauge the risks, protect their friends and loved ones, and slow the spread of COVID-19.

“The best way to protect loved ones during Thanksgiving is to limit travel and gatherings with anyone who does not live in your household,” said NCDHHS Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D. “If you do plan to get together, there are important steps you can take to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 to your family and friends.”

Because North Carolina is experiencing high numbers of COVID-19 cases across the state, NCDHHS urges caution when gathering for Thanksgiving and other holiday celebrations, especially for gatherings that include people who are at a higher risk of developing complications from COVID-19, such as anyone over the age of 65.

If people do plan on traveling or gathering, they should consider having a screening COVID-19 test three to four days ahead of time. A screening test can help someone know if they have COVID-19 even if they do not yet have symptoms. However, a screening test can miss some infections. Furthermore, a negative test only gives you information for that point in time.

Screening tests are available at state-funded community testing events. Call ahead to other testing sites to see if they offer screening tests at their locations. Community testing events and other testing sites are listed online at ncdhhs.gov/testingplace.

“Consider getting a screening test ahead of your Thanksgiving travel or gathering. If you test positive, stay home and isolate. If you test negative, it’s not a free pass. Wear a mask and practice all 3Ws, including keeping 6 feet of distance from others and washing hands often,” Secretary Cohen said.

People who have been recently diagnosed with COVID-19, have symptoms of COVID-19 or have been around a person with COVID-19, should not host or participate in any in-person gatherings until they complete their isolation or quarantine period.

For a full list of guidance about traveling and gathering during the holidays, along with a chart outlining low, medium and high-risk activities, see the NCDHHS Interim Guidance for Thanksgiving Holiday.

During Black Friday shopping, it is strongly recommended individuals do not participate in any traditional Black Friday shopping where customers gather in large groups waiting for the store to open or are in crowded stores for extended times.

Any large gathering of people poses an increased risk of spreading COVID-19. People at high risk for COVID-19 complications should limit in-person shopping. And people who have recently been diagnosed with COVID-19, have COVID-19 like symptoms or who have been exposed to COVID-19, should not shop in person until their isolation or quarantine period is over.

Individuals who do shop in person should follow the 3Ws and remember stores are limited to 50 percent capacity. For further Black Friday guidance, including step-by-step tips for how to reduce risk while shopping, see the NCDHHS Interim Guidance for Black Friday Shopping.

NC State Board of Elections

State Board Releases County-by-County Provisional Ballot Numbers

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-Press Release, NC State Board of Elections

Under state law, elections officials must release the number of provisional ballots cast in each county by noon two days after the election. The State Board surveyed the 100 county boards of elections across North Carolina and provides the provisional ballot numbers by county below.

Provisional ballots cast on Election Day must still be researched to determine voter eligibility. Provisional ballots are cast when an individual’s name does not appear on the poll book or other questions arise about that person’s eligibility to vote or to vote a particular ballot.

After Election Day, each county board of elections meets before certifying the results to make decisions on provisional applications submitted by voters. If the board determines that the voter is eligible, the provisional ballot is counted. If the voter is eligible for some contests on the ballot but not others, the eligible contests will be counted for that voter. These ballots will be added to the results during the canvass process.

Ballots determined to be cast by eligible voters will be added to the results after county board absentee meetings scheduled through November 13. The State Board is compiling a schedule of county board meetings and will release it as soon as possible.

County # of Provisionals
Alamance 868
Alexander 175
Alleghany 33
Anson 100
Ashe 103
Avery 114
Beaufort 132
Bertie 87
Bladen 129
Brunswick 869
Buncombe 737
Burke 116
Cabarrus 1049
Caldwell 310
Camden 32
Carteret 460
Caswell 122
Catawba 442
Chatham 156
Cherokee 48
Chowan 52
Clay 52
Cleveland 552
Columbus 286
Craven 447
Cumberland 1842
Currituck 106
Dare 176
Davidson 928
Davie 165
Duplin 321
Durham 1277
Edgecombe 167
Forsyth 1500
Franklin 249
Gaston 987
Gates 53
Graham 58
Granville 220
Greene 73
Guilford 1228
Halifax 188
Harnett 803
Haywood 217
Henderson 200
Hertford 71
Hoke 323
Hyde 22
Iredell 341
Jackson 336
Johnston 892
Jones 58
Lee 150
Lenoir 264
Lincoln 353
Macon 83
Madison 108
Martin 100
McDowell 126
Mecklenburg 2483
Mitchell 104
Montgomery 156
Moore 389
Nash 544
New Hanover 1200
Northampton 32
Onslow 1074
Orange 247
Pamlico 69
Pasquotank 311
Pender 340
Perquimans 53
Person 121
Pitt 1091
Polk 49
Randolph 536
Richmond 248
Robeson 1472
Rockingham 516
Rowan 441
Rutherford 488
Sampson 202
Scotland 143
Stanly 319
Stokes 167
Surry 341
Swain 48
Transylvania 91
Tyrrell 12
Union 933
Vance 55
Wake 3437
Warren 72
Washington 40
Watauga 260
Wayne 573
Wilkes 234
Wilson 276
Yadkin 81
Yancey 62
Total 40766
NC State Board of Elections

How to Know Your Vote Counted in North Carolina

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-Press Release, NC State Board of Elections

North Carolina elections officials wish to remind Election Day voters that it may take a few weeks before their “voter history” is updated to reflect their recent vote in their voter record available through the State Board of Elections’ Voter Search tool.

“If you voted in person and inserted your ballot into a tabulator, your selections were immediately recorded on a memory card, and your votes were reported on election night as part of the unofficial results,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “We respectfully ask that voters trust their bipartisan boards of elections across North Carolina. We are here to make sure your votes count, and they will.”

The State Board of Elections and county boards of elections are inundated with questions from voters about whether their ballot was counted in the 2020 general election. In almost every single case, the answer will be yes.

However, if you voted on Election Day, it will take time for your voter history to reflect the fact that you voted, as county boards of elections must first complete post-election processes.

Voters may confirm the status of their ballot in the following ways through the State Board of Elections’ Voter Search tool: https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/. Simply enter your first and last names and county (if desired) and follow the instructions below based on your voting method.

If you voted in person on Election Day…

When you inserted your ballot into a tabulator, your selections were recorded on a media card in the tabulator. These results were counted and reported publicly on election night.

For further confirmation that your ballot was counted, use the Voter Search tool.

Your ballot status will show up in the “Voter History” section (see screenshot below) as soon as your county completes the post-election process of assigning voter history to your record. This may take a couple of weeks or longer after the election.

Please be assured that your county board of elections will complete this process as promptly as possible amid the other post-election tasks that must be completed, including post-election audits and certification of the results.

If you voted in person during the one-stop early voting period from October 15-31…

You can find that your vote counted in the “Your Absentee Ballot” section (see screenshot below) of the Voter Search database.

Under North Carolina law, all early votes – by-mail or in-person – are considered absentee votes. If you voted during the early voting period, your “Absentee Status” will show “VALID RETURN,” the “Return Method” will be “IN PERSON” and your “Return Status” will be “ACCEPTED.”

Your ballot status also will show up in the “Voter History” section as soon as your county completes the post-election process of assigning voter history to your record. This may take a couple of weeks or longer.

If you voted absentee by-mail…

Once your ballot is received by your county board of elections, you can find that your vote counted in the “Your Absentee Ballot” section of the Voter Search database. “Absentee Status” will show “VALID RETURN,” the “Return Method” will be “MAIL” and your “Return Status” will be “ACCEPTED” or “ACCEPTED – CURED”.

Your ballot status will also show up in the “Voter History” section as soon as your county completes the post-election process of assigning voter history to your record. This may take a couple of weeks or longer.

If you cast a provisional ballot…

You will be able to check the status of your ballot 10 days after the election through the Provisional Search tool: https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegProvPIN/. You must fill out all four fields in the form and click “Search.”

What is “voter history”?

Voter history includes the election date, the voting method and your county. For primary elections, it also includes the ballot style (Republican, Democratic, nonpartisan, etc.) that you voted. It will not show who you voted for. That is always confidential.

State elections officials urge voters to use the options above to ensure their ballot was counted. We also urge voters to be wary about what they read online and on social media about elections. In these days after the election, a lot of misinformation is spreading on social media.

 “Please be patient as your county boards of elections work extremely hard to ensure all ballots are counted and results are audited and certified,” Brinson Bell said. “With these options, voters can have peace of mind that their voice was heard in this election.”

Warren County Logo

Warren County Donates Equipment for VIPER Tower Improvements

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-Press Release, Warren County Government

Warren County completed the final task in its latest partnership with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol (NCSHP) and the Warren County Firemen’s Association- the donation and handoff of approximately $174,000 of equipment to make public safety improvements to the VIPER towers (owned and maintained by NCSHP) in Warren County.

Currently, only Warren County EMS and the Sheriff’s Office have the equipment to communicate on the VIPER network. With the county’s support to fund grant writing assistance, the Warren County Firemen’s Association applied for and received a $702,900 federal grant – matched by $66,900 from Warren County in FY 20 – to purchase updated radio equipment for all volunteer fire departments to communicate on this network. The equipment on the VIPER towers still needs to be upgraded in order for these radios to work.

“This partnership with NCSHP is another level of growth in emergency services infrastructure for Warren County citizens,” stated Warren County Chairman of the Board of Commissioners Tare Davis. “This much-needed advancement of new-age communication allows our fire departments to have what is necessary to keep us safe and respond to our county’s needs.”

The funding for the equipment was included in the FY 21 budget in fire protection. The county was required by NCSHP to purchase this equipment in order for these improvements to be made; by donating the equipment to NCSHP, the equipment will be maintained and upgraded by the state moving forward.

“Warren County has chosen a prudent course for designing a reliable interoperability communication system among all public safety agencies within Warren County by partnering into the state-owned VIPER system,” stated Dennis Paschall, Director of Warren County Emergency Services. “This phase will bring VIPER interoperability into volunteer fire departments that is a critical component in having VIPER capabilities within all the public safety agencies for natural and manmade responses.”

“As a county commissioner and fire commissioner, I’m grateful we have entered into this commitment for our brave men and women of our fire departments who volunteer every day,” Davis said.

For more information, contact the Warren County Manager’s Office at (252) 257-3115.

NC State Board of Elections

Vast Majority of NC Votes to be Tallied and Reported Tonight

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

-Press Release, NC State Board of Elections

The N.C. State Board of Elections anticipates that the results reported by the end of election night will include 97 percent or more of all ballots cast in North Carolina in the 2020 general election.

As always, the remaining ballots, including provisional ballots and absentee by-mail ballots that arrive after Election Day, will be counted and added to the totals during the post-election canvass period.

As they become available after all polls close Tuesday night, unofficial election results will be posted here: https://er.ncsbe.gov/.

“Please remember that all results reported on election night are unofficial. We will post results as quickly as possible, but our primary objective will be accuracy more than speed,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “State and county elections officials take many steps after every election to ensure all eligible votes are counted and the results are audited and accurate.”

Please see below for details on how votes are counted, how and when results are reported on election night and information about post-election audits, recounts and canvass.

What votes will be counted and reported on election night 2020?

The vast majority of all votes cast in the 2020 general election in North Carolina will be reported as unofficial results on November 3. All results are unofficial until the statewide certification, or canvass, scheduled for November 24, during a meeting of the State Board. (See “What happens after election night?” below.)

If all goes as expected, the following unofficial results will be reported to the public on election night through the Election Results Dashboard:

  • All in-person one-stop early votes
  • All by-mail absentee votes received by the county boards of elections by 5 p.m. Monday, November 2
  • All Election Day votes, excluding provisional ballots, which must be researched post-election to determine voter eligibility

When will results be reported to the public?

The State Board will begin posting results publicly after polls close statewide at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. However, the State Board may extend voting hours at a polling place if polls are delayed in opening for more than 15 minutes or are interrupted for more than 15 minutes after opening. Any polling extension may not be longer than the delay in voting. No results will be posted until all polls are closed.

The State Board will issue a notice if the State Board meets on Election Day to consider polling hours extensions. The public will be able to listen to the meeting remotely.

Below is an estimated timeline of the expected reporting of unofficial results to the Election Results Dashboard. Reporting times will vary by county. Results are updated every few minutes as they come in from the counties.

  • 7:30 p.m.: Polls close.
  • 7:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.: Counties report results of in-person, one-stop early voting and absentee by-mail ballots received by 5 p.m. Monday, November 2.
  • 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.: Precinct officials hand-deliver Election Day results to county boards of elections offices.
  • 8:30 p.m. – midnight: Election Day precinct results are reported; reporting continues until all Election Day results are posted.

Various factors can affect the timing of results.

What happens after election night?

Elections are far from over on election night. This has always been the case. In the days that follow, the county boards of elections count the remaining ballots, research the eligibility of each provisional ballot, conduct a series of post-election audits, and conduct any necessary recounts. The State Board conducts additional audits to ensure a fair and accurate count.

These post-election processes culminate in the final certification of results, also called canvass. County boards of elections will hold their canvass meeting at 11 a.m. November 13. The State Board will meet on November 24 to certify the election.

For more information about NC election audits and canvass, see the Post-Elections Procedures and Audits webpage.

Absentee ballots. Mail-in absentee ballots postmarked on or before Election Day will be accepted by county boards of elections until 5 p.m. November 12. Overseas and military absentee ballots also are accepted through November 12. These ballots will be added to the unofficial results during the canvass process.

Provisional ballot meetings. Provisional ballots are cast when an individual’s name does not appear on the poll book or other questions arise about that person’s eligibility to vote or to vote a particular ballot.

Each county board of elections meets before certifying the results to make decisions on provisional applications submitted by voters. If the board determines that the voter is eligible, the provisional ballot is counted. If the voter is eligible for some contests on the ballot but not others, the eligible contests will be counted. These ballots will be added to the unofficial results during the canvass process.

Sample Audit. Every county conducts a sample hand-to-eye count of ballots in randomly selected precincts and one-stop locations to confirm results tabulated by machine. Counties must conduct their hand-to-eye counts in public.

County canvass. County boards of elections will certify their results at public meetings held at 11 a.m. Friday, November 13. The county board certifies contests and referenda within the county boundaries.

Recounts. Any mandatory recounts would be conducted by county boards of elections after the county canvass and before the state canvass. For statewide contests, the vote difference must be 10,000 votes or fewer for a candidate who is the runner-up to demand a recount. For non-statewide contests, the difference between the candidates must be 1 percent or less of the total votes cast in the contest. The recount demand must be in writing and received by the State Board of Elections no later than noon on Tuesday, November 17. If a recount is demanded, the State Board of Elections office would issue a schedule, and the counties would conduct recounts individually during open meetings.

For contests under jurisdiction of county boards of elections, a demand for recount must be made in writing to the county board of elections by 5 p.m. Monday, November 16.

N.C.G.S. § 163-182.7

See general guidelines for recounts: http://reports.oah.state.nc.us/ncac/title%2008%20-%20elections/chapter%2009%20-%20conduct%20of%20vote%20recounts%20by%20county%20boards%20of%20elections/08%20ncac%2009%20.0106.html.

And see Recount of Optical Scan Ballots: http://reports.oah.state.nc.us/ncac/title%2008%20-%20elections/chapter%2009%20-%20conduct%20of%20vote%20recounts%20by%20county%20boards%20of%20elections/08%20ncac%2009%20.0107.html

State canvass. The State Board of Elections will certify statewide results for all federal, statewide, multi-district and judicial contests at a public meeting held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24. Results in each contest are not considered official until certified by the State Board. After state canvass, the board of elections with jurisdiction over each contest will issue a certificate of election to the prevailing candidate.

5 Important Facts About Election Security in 2020

  1. Under state law, all voting systems used in North Carolina must use paper ballots, producing a paper trail that can be recounted and audited. Every voter in all 100 counties will cast a paper ballot.
  2. Election night results are always unofficial. In the days that follow the election, election officials will ensure every eligible ballot is counted. They will audit and certify the results. This is a regular process after each election.
  3. In North Carolina, about 2,660 polling places will be open on Election Day and perhaps one million voters will cast ballots on November 3. Unexpected issues arise during every election, such as power outages, voting equipment malfunctions, tabulator or printer jams and long lines at some voting places. These are not indications of malicious activity, and processes are in place to respond to each of these scenarios.
  4. Because of COVID-19, North Carolinians are voting by mail in record numbers this year. All ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day to be counted. Because of the surge in by-mail voting, more ballots than usual will be counted after Election Day. This means more North Carolinians will be able to vote successfully, despite the pandemic.
  5. Every polling place is staffed with bipartisan, trained officials from the local community who take an oath to uphold state elections laws and work together to ensure election security. Bipartisan State and county boards of elections oversee all aspects of elections in North Carolina.
VGCC Logo

VGCC Receives $125,000 Grant From Cannon Foundation

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

The Cannon Foundation, based in Concord, North Carolina, recently awarded a $125,000 grant to the Vance-Granville Community College Endowment Fund. The funds will support VGCC’s Nursing Simulation Lab and Heavy Equipment Operator program simulators.

“With this grant, Vance-Granville Community College will continue to enhance our Nursing and Heavy Equipment Operator training programs, so that students can receive state-of-the-art preparation for their careers,” said VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais. “We appreciate the Cannon Foundation’s commitment to workforce development and education.”

Part of the grant will provide needed equipment for the new, 4,000-square-foot Simulation Lab on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County. This lab has recently been relocated from its previous space on the campus of Maria Parham Health in Henderson.

Much like it did at the previous location, the lab will provide students in Associate Degree Nursing and Practical Nursing with opportunities to train for a variety of real-life situations, using high-tech manikins. The life-like “patients” can be programmed to replicate a variety of medical diagnoses and conditions.

The other, larger portion of the grant funds will provide simulators of a different sort. The Heavy Equipment Operator program, based on VGCC’s Warren County Campus in Warrenton, will benefit from new, improved training simulators, on which students can practice in a safe, controlled way. The trainers simulate equipment such as bulldozers and excavators.

The college’s HEO program is now a registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship program, and the updated simulation equipment will help align the training with current workforce needs.

“Our current Heavy Equipment Operator program has been in place since 2015 with the simulators we currently have through an agreement with the North Carolina Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration,” explained Kyle Burwell, VGCC’s director of Occupational Extension & Human Resources Development. “I am thrilled at the opportunity offered to us by the Cannon Foundation to purchase additional simulation equipment to enhance our HEO program so that students can practice and learn on updated equipment as they prepare to work in the field of Heavy Equipment Operation.”

The Cannon Foundation was formed in 1943 by Charles A. Cannon, chairman and president of the Cannon Mills Company. The Cannon Foundation continues his philanthropic legacy by funding primarily capital and infrastructure projects for organizations across the state of North Carolina. To date, the Cannon Foundation has awarded grants totaling more than $305 million.

“This new grant from the Cannon Foundation is good news for our community, for the students who will use this equipment to learn, and for their future employers,” said Eddie Ferguson, VGCC endowment fund director. “VGCC continues to partner with a variety of funders to provide high-quality training for good jobs in fields like health care and construction.”

The Cannon Foundation has supported VGCC in the past, including a grant of $150,000 to help complete the renovation of Building 10 on the college’s Main Campus.

Warren Co. Flag

Warren Co. Economic Development Conducting First Existing Business Survey

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-Press Release, Warren County Government

Warren County Economic Development is conducting its first existing industries survey now through December 31, 2020. The goals of the survey are to learn more about the businesses currently operating in the county, as well as assess some of their operational and growth needs.

“One of our goals this year is to be more strategic about our business retention actions and start to develop a more formalized business retention and existing industry expansion program in Warren County,” said Charla Duncan, Economic Development Director. “We know that our small businesses are the backbone of this county’s economic development, and keeping them in the county and also encouraging their growth is a vital part of what this office does.”

In order to understand more about those businesses and their needs, data must be collected to make strategic decisions in the department, but also to make sure the county is aware of who is open for business.

“We do not have a database of existing businesses that tracks the level of detail we are hoping to use to develop a strategy that can evolve as our community changes and grows,” said Duncan. “This survey won’t be a singularly perfect instrument for that, but it’s an important piece of the foundation of strategic growth.”

The business survey can be completed by visiting the Warren County EDC website at www.warrencountync.org (under the County Info section).

Each business that completes the survey will be entered into a drawing to receive one of three prizes: up to $450 in advertising & marketing funds with The Warren Record and/or Lake Gaston Gazette-Observer or with The Warrenist, or three hours of business coaching with Tabletop Media Group.

For more information, contact the Warren County Economic Development office at (252) 257-3114 or by emailing Charla Duncan at charladuncan@warrencountync.gov.

Paul McKenzie - NACAA

Paul McKenzie, Ag. Extension Agent, Receives Distinguished Service Award

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-Press Release, National Association of County Agriculture Agents (NACAA)

Paul McKenzie received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Association of County Agriculture Agents (NACAA) during the 2020 Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference. McKenzie was one of several honorees who represented the top two percent of the membership selected by their peers and the Director of Extension.

Paul McKenzie received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Association of County Agriculture Agents (NACAA) during the 2020 Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference. (Photo courtesy NACAA)

McKenzie has served over twenty years as an agricultural extension agent in four different counties, the last eleven years as an area agent serving Vance and Warren counties. In that capacity, McKenzie has implemented a comprehensive education program serving farmers, gardeners, woodland owners and licensed/certified pesticide applicators.

He oversees a Master Gardener volunteer program consisting of almost forty volunteers that contribute well over 1,000 hours of service to the community each year. In addition to gardening workshops, youth education projects, and informative newsletters, the Master Gardeners have implemented various educational gardening projects. The most recent and ambitious is a pollinator habitat garden at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.

McKenzie was also instrumental in the campaign to raise grant money for the construction of the Vance County Regional Farmers Market and continues to support it through training and technical assistance for produce farmers and other vendors.

For several years, McKenzie has partnered with the local offices of the NC Forest Service to conduct educational workshops for woodland owners so they can make better management decisions that benefit wildlife, timber production, natural resources, and profitability.

Educational workshops, seminars and tours are a key component of his educational efforts, and he is involved in implementing dozens each year on topics such as pesticide safety, timber harvesting, high tunnel production, alternative crops, vegetable gardening and more. These well-run events have strong attendance, positive reviews and many repeat customers.

McKenzie is well-respected among co-workers both locally, regionally and across the state, having been called to serve as a mentor for several early-career Extension Agents. Through his good work and commitment to serve, he has fostered strong relationships with many partner agencies, including Farm Service Agency, Soil & Water District, the Small Business Center at Vance-Granville Community College and others.

Farmers and gardeners alike rely on Paul to provide accurate and reliable advice regarding garden problems, pondweeds, crop production, pest management and more.