Buy State Fair Tickets Now And Save

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Daydreaming about the cooler days of autumn, when colorful leaves are beginning to fall to the ground and that little nip in the air has you reaching for your sweater?

Well, those cooler October days are also when folks make plans to attend the North Carolina State Fair – so quit your daydreaming and purchase advance tickets and wristbands now to save a little money!

Advance sales will run through Oct. 12 and are $10 for adults and $5 for youth ages 6-12. Unlimited ride wristbands are $30 each and can be purchased online. Wristbands are for one day only and vouchers can be redeemed at the Ride Ticket Plazas once the Fair begins. They are not valid for the State Fair Flyer or the State Fair SkyGazer.

“Advance sale tickets are the best prices you will see all year for the State Fair,” said Kent Yelverton, State Fair manager. “Prices increase once the Fair begins, so buy your tickets now especially if you’re bringing a big group.”

This year, ride ticket credits will be placed on a chipped card which will be presented at each ride and will automatically debit the ticket count for that ride. Ride ticket credits will carry over year-to-year.

“Like many other big state fairs, we have decided to make the switch to ride ticket cards for our guests to use,” Yelverton said. “This new system is easy to use and ensures that everyone spends less time in lines and more time enjoying their time at the Fair.”

Other special themed ticket packages offered include:

  • Dizzy Pass – One gate admission ticket and one unlimited ride wristband for $38
  • Kegs & Cork Pass – One gate admission ticket, one NC Public House beer + wine ticket for $17
  • State Fair Flyer Package – Two gate admission tickets and two round-trip State Fair Flyer tickets for $34
  • State Fair SkyGazer – One gate admission ticket and one State Fair SkyGazer ticket for $14

The 2023 N.C. State Fair will run Oct. 12-22 at the N.C. State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. The fair offers an experience unique to North Carolina and is an unparalleled value with free entertainment, thrilling rides and games, thousands of animals, endless family activities, competitions, vendors and creative deep-fried delights. For more information, visit www.ncstatefair.org or connect on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @ncstatefair.org.

SportsTalk: Elam Goes To The Dogs

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Jim Elam has been fortunate to have two long careers.  The Warren County native spent over 20 years as an educator and coach.  He started in Johnston County at Princeton High School, and after getting married, decided he wanted to be closer to home.  His desire to return to Warren County would land Elam the head football coaching position at Halifax Academy and then in Roanoke Rapids where he coached the middle school football team.  It was while he was there that he became interested in training dogs.

“I learned from my father,” Elam said on Thursday’s SportsTalk.  He read books to add to his knowledge not knowing he would be able to turn his interest into a new, second career.  He sees a lot of similarities between coaching young people and training dogs.  “Some are more difficult and some are easier,” Elam says.

Elam says training for puppies begins at six weeks of age and at seven weeks he explains it is important to socialize them.  “The sit command is the place to start,” says Elam.  At seven months the formal training begins.

If you are interested in learning more about training retrievers, contact Jim at Lake Country Retrievers at 252-432-2245, on Facebook or at www.lakecountryretrievers.com.

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Charla Duncan Appointed To State Economic Development Advisory Council

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Charla Duncan, director of Warren County Community and Economic Development, was recently appointed to represent the North Central Prosperity Zone on the North Carolina EDPNC Economic Development Advisory Council. This council provides advisory direction and support to the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC).

Duncan was appointed to fill the seat of Harry Mills, recently retired economic development director of Granville County. She will join Michael Haley, executive director of Wake County Economic Development, in representing the North Central zone on the 16-member council.

Haley is executive director of the Wake County Economic Development Office.

The state has eight prosperity zones, determined by the N.C. Department of Commerce, which subdivide the state geographically to provide localized support for economic development projects.

The North Central prosperity zone includes Vance, Granville, Warren, Franklin, as well as Person, Alamance, Orange, Durham, Wake, Nash, Edgecombe, Chatham, Wilson, Lee, Harnett  and Johnston counties.

“It’s an honor to represent the needs of this region to the state’s economic development arm,” stated Duncan. “I’m pleased that leadership has been intentional about selecting representation from both rural and urban communities, and I look forward to working with a really stellar group of development professionals across the state.”

For more information about EDPNC, visit their website at https://edpnc.com/. For information about Warren County Community and Economic Development, visit www.warrencountync.org.

Microclimates, Hot Weather, Thunderstorms, Hurricanes and Forecasting

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They probably don’t teach terms like “crazy hot” in meteorology school, but everyone around here knows firsthand exactly what Jonathan Blaes means when he says those words to describe this summer’s weather.

Blaes, director of the National Weather Service office in Raleigh, summarized the current weather pattern that has sent temps soaring into the triple-digit range across parts of the Midwest and West.

“In Texas and Arizona, it’s been crazy hot without a break for months,” Blaes said on Tuesday’s TownTalk.

North Carolina summers often see stretches of hot weather for days in a row, but not months. “This (pattern) has been pretty persistent and pretty remarkable,” he added.

The thunderstorms that blew through the area earlier this afternoon are ushering in a slight break in the heat and humidity, with predicted highs hovering in the mid- to upper 80’s for the rest of the week.

Heat and humidity are the basic fuel for thunderstorms, Blaes said, so why don’t we have thunderstorms every single day during the summer?

We feel the heat and humidity down here on the ground, but there are other factors that affect the likelihood that afternoon storms will pop up, he explained. Take the temperature of the air at higher elevations, from cloud level and beyond, for example.

Temperatures need to cool off at a steeper rate to fuel storms, so when it’s “hot all the way up into the clouds,” that cooling doesn’t always occur at the rate needed to create storms.

But there are other factors closer to earth that have a bearing on the weather, including soil makeup, elevation and bodies of water, just to name a few.

“Weather is very local,” he said. “Details matter. Locations matter,” he added. “All those different features and materials interact with the air and sunlight and they’re different.” Those differences help to drive the weather patterns in a particular area, both in the short-term and long-term.

And Blaes and his team consider all those factors when they make their forecasts.

The National Weather Service team is keeping an eye out as hurricane season continues. There already have been four named storms, and we’re barely three months in, he said.

The NOAA forecast is calling for above normal activity this hurricane season, with between 14 and 21 named storms.

Typically, we can count on 14 named storms. Of that number half, will become hurricanes. Of that seven, half of those will be Category 3 or stronger, Blaes said.

“Things are going to ramp up and you can place a pretty good wager we’re going to be hearing more about tropical storms in the Atlantic,” he said.

Thanks to sophisticated technology advances, forecasts are more data-driven and less prediction or educated guesses.

In the event of a hurricane between now and November, Blaes said one thing he’d for sure recommend is to prepare a hurricane kit and make a plan. Just in case.

 

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NC State Board of Elections

North Carolina Voters Will See ‘No Labels’ On Future Ballots

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North Carolina is now among a group of 10 states that has recognized the No Labels movement.

The State Board of Elections voted 4-1 over the weekend to allow the No Labels party to appear on ballots alongside the more traditional descriptors of Democrat, Republican, Independent and Unaffiliated.

In a June 2023 interview with WIZS, Pat McCrory, one of the national co-chairs of the movement, said he is in favor of more choices for voters.

“And if No Labels does come up with a President/Vice President team as an alternative for voters, dissatisfied with the options from traditional parties, make no mistake: “It’ll be to win, not to be a spoiler,” the former N.C. governor said on the June 20 TownTalk segment.

North Carolina joins nine other states – Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota and Utah – that have approved No Labels to appear on ballots.

“The No Labels movement has achieved a significant milestone, winning ballot access in 10 states,” said civil rights leader Dr. Benjamin J. Chavis, national co-chair of No Labels. “This is a historic victory for Americans who have said loud and clear they want more choices at the ballot box. The spirit of democracy is winning in America today.”

During that TownTalk interview, McCrory said No Labels seeks to provide a common-sense approach to address challenges that mainline parties find little on which to compromise.

“I’m a conservative who believes the more competition, the better.” Divisions and failure to find compromise among political parties only create chaos, he said back in June.

With a focus on common-sense policy solutions, practical compromise and cross-party collaboration, the No Labels movement has spent the past 13 years working to give voice to America’s commonsense majority.

Visit https://www.nolabels.org/ to learn more.

Donate Blood In August, Get $10 To See A Movie

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There are several blood donation clinics popping up in the area through the end of the month, and the American Red Cross has issued an appeal to donors to help keep hospital shelves stocked with lifesaving blood products.

Right now, the Red Cross especially needs type O negative, type O positive, type B negative and type A negative blood donors, as well as platelet donors.

Don’t know your blood type? Making a donation is an easy way to find out. The Red Cross will notify new donors of their blood type soon after they give.

Just to sweeten the pot, everyone who comes to give during August will get a $10 e-gift card to use at a movie merchant of their choice.

Find details at RedCrossBlood.org/Movie.

Schedule an appointment to give by downloading the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Here’s a list of upcoming blood donation clinics in the area:

Vance

Henderson

8/30/2023: 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Maria Parham Health, 566 Ruin Creek Rd.

Franklin

Franklinton

8/31/2023: 1 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., Solid Rock Bible Way, 2 Risen Way

Granville

Butner

8/23/2023: 12 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., Butner Town Hall, 415 Central Ave.

Warren County Native Serves In U.S. Navy

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  • Information courtesy of Navy Office of Community Outreach

A Warren County native serves as master-at-arms for the U.S. Navy in Pearl Harbor and has stated that the lessons he learned growing up in rural North Carolina have helped him throughout his 20-year career.

Chief Petty Officer Michael Atkins, of Littleton, is assigned to Commander Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific operating out of Pearl Harbor.

“I joined the Navy because of a family tradition of service,” Atkins said in a press statement from the Navy’s office of Community Outreach.

Atkins, a 1997 graduate of Warren County High School, said he is proud to help others succeed in their careers and in life. “Being a part of an organization like the Navy is not about an individual, it is a team effort.”

“I come from a small town and we had a lot of respect for others and treating others how you want to be treated,” he said.

“Each of our sailors is an ambassador for the United States,” Atkins said, “whether they are the most junior seaman or an admiral.”

Atkins and the sailors he serves with have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.

As Atkins and other sailors continue to train and perform missions, they take pride in serving their country in the U.S. Navy.

“To me, serving in the Navy means carrying on a tradition of our nation’s history that goes back hundreds of years and I am now part of that history,” said Atkinss.

Atkins is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.

“I would like to thank my parents, Charles and Linda, my wife, Maria, daughter, Natasha, and countless mentors and service members I have served with for supporting me and giving me guidance along my career,” added Atkins.

With 90 percent of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the Internet relying on the security of undersea fiber optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to trained sailors and a strong Navy.

“Our mission remains timeless – to provide our fellow citizens with nothing less than the very best Navy: fully combat-ready at all times, focused on warfighting excellence, and committed to superior leadership at every single level,” said Adm. Mike Gilday, chief of Naval Operations. “This is our calling. And I cannot imagine a calling more worthy.”

SportsTalk: Hunt Prepares Eagles For Football

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The Warren County High School Eagles’ progress as a football team can be easily traced by looking at the number of wins over the last three years. Two, four and, last season, seven. Those seven wins last year put the Eagles in the state high school playoffs.  Victor Hunt, Head Football Coach and Athletic Director at Warren County, points out that those seven wins came with a struggle: overcoming an injury bug. “We were down to a fourth string running back,” Hunt said on Thursday’s SportsTalk.  The injuries caused Warren County to get off to a slow start last year and put players who were not ready to play on the field. Hunt hopes that experience along with many returning players from last year will mean that the Eagles can improve on last year’s playoff team.

Warren County kicks off their season on Friday, August 18th against Vance County in Henderson.  “It’s a rivalry game. The loss last year haunts us.  It really hurt and it really stung, ” Hunt said of the last minute Vance County win.

He has 47 players on the roster this season and is pleased with the number of kids who have turned out. “Winning helps but it has a lot to do with what is going on culturally at the school,” Hunt said about athletic participation.

As athletic director, Hunt has also kept things moving along for volleyball and cross country.  The Eagles’ volleyball team has back to back conference championships and Hunt is looking for a threepeat in that sport.  Last year also saw the cross country team bring their first conference championship back to Warren County High School as well.

You can hear the matchup between Warren County and Vance County here on WIZS beginning at 6:50pm Friday, August 18th.

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Local Elections Office Ready To Provide Voter ID Cards For Those Who Need One

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UPDATED Aug. 10 – 12:30 p.m.

Registered voters who do not have an acceptable identification for voting in NC can now go to their county board of elections office to get a free photo ID.

Vance County Board of Elections Director Melody Vaughan said Wednesday afternoon that her office is ready to help voters who find they need one of the cards. There is an application that voters must complete before they will be issued an ID, Vaughan stated.

“We can provide this service Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 noon and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.,” Vaughan said in an email to WIZS News, with the exception of Friday, Aug. 11 and Aug. 14 and Aug. 15. Staff will be attending a conference out of town and no ID cards will be processed on those days.

Most voters have a driver’s license, which is an acceptable form of photo ID to present to poll workers in order to cast their votes.

If you have a driver’s license – or other acceptable form of photo ID – you don’t need to get one from the board of elections office.

If however, you need a photo ID, you can come to your county’s board of elections office during business hours to request one. In most cases, the cards can be printed and issued right then and there, according to information from the North Carolina State Board of Elections office. Some counties, however, may need to mail the cards or let voters know when the card is available for pickup.

Find a list of acceptable forms of photo ID here: https://www.ncsbe.gov/voting/voter-id

A voter need only provide his or her name, date of birth and last four digits of their Social Security number to get the ID. With that information, they’ll have a photograph taken and the process is complete.

In addition to the photo, the card will have the voter’s name and registration number. It will expire 10 years from the date of issuance.

County boards of elections can issue cards during regular business hours, except for the period following the last day of early voting through Election Day.

 

Warren Co. Memorial Library

Warren Library Gets $28,500 Grant To Better Serve The Community

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Thanks to a grant totaling more than $28,000, the Warren County Memorial Library is kicking off a plan to seek community input that will expand the services it provides to patrons.

The $28,500 grant comes from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and is administered through the State Library of North Carolina. The IMLS provides funding to agencies affiliated with the State Library by using a population-based formula.

“This assessment will help the library to gather feedback from the community on how to best serve the residents in Warren County,” stated Library Director Christy Bondy.

“We want to expand our services as much as we can,” Bondy said. “To do that, we need to find out where our blind spots are. We’re looking for creative ways to serve the community and want to see everyone’s basic needs get met when it comes to literacy. But as libraries evolve, we’re here to help people in whatever way we can.”

The information gathered through the surveys and focus groups scheduled for the fall will be used to learn what services patrons use, but Bondy said it also will help learn why the community is not using the library.

“We will use the survey and focus group input to learn what services and resources the community is using, as well as what services are being provided that the population is unaware of,” Bondy said. “The feedback will also aid us in determining what could be added to improve the overall experience.”

The assessment will be conducted by Rethinking Libraries, LCC, a library consulting firm that helps clients to see their institutions differently and embrace changes to become more vibrant, 21st Century libraries. Rethinking Libraries has been involved in numerous facilities projects, strategic planning processes, building programs and other consulting work with hundreds of libraries across the United States. Clients range from small rural public libraries to large urban facilities.

The needs assessment portion of the project kicked off Aug. 4; paper copies are available at the library’s circulation desk; complete the online survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WCMLPRMedia.

The Warren County Memorial Library is located at 119 S. Front St. in Warrenton. For more information, visit www.wcmlibrary.org.