TownTalk: Rural Water Apprenticeships Are Available

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How many times a day do you use water?

Morning showers, preparing a pot of coffee or washing dishes after a meal are just a few of the many ways we use water throughout the day. We turn on the spigot and expect clean, safe water to come flowing out.

But it takes a lot of work to ensure our water is potable and safe to use, and Carolyn Bynum of the N.C. Rural Water Association has a startling statistic for all of us: Over the next five years, water systems will lose more than half of their current employees, mostly through retirement.

And so just who is stepping up to fill those jobs?

NCRWA’s apprenticeship program works year-round to identify prospective employees and place them in paid positions, creating a win-win situation for people who want to work in the field and for those water systems who need employees.

People who work in water system plants and wastewater plants are very essential front-line workers, she noted. “If we don’t have clean water, everything dies,” Bynum said. “It sounds drastic, but in reality, it’s true,” she added.

Bynum is the NCRWA’s workforce development coordinator and she explained the apprenticeship program to John C. Rose on Monday’s TownTalk.

The program functions much like traditional apprenticeships, with one big exception – the NCRWA apprentices are paid while they complete the extensive classroom instruction and on-the-job training.

Her agency has placed 20 apprentices in the three years or so since the apprenticeship program  was registered with N.C. Department of Labor. Three more apprentices just completed the two-year process and they’ll be placed soon, too.

And although apprentices will be learning the intricacies of the water industry, Bynum said NCRWA strives to provide participants with occupational training that can be applied across workplaces, not just the water industry.

“We want them to have a broad view of the industry,” she said. There’s a huge growth potential in the industry that often goes unnoticed by those entering the work force.

Applications can be submitted at any time; Bynum said the industry is always looking for qualified workers to make sure customers have clean water.

She said she gets calls all the time from water systems asking for help finding employees.

The apprenticeship program allows new employees to gain experience as they learn from seasoned workers. “You don’t want to wait until they retire,” she said.

After an application is submitted, the process continues sort of like a job interview. Candidates must be at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or its equivalent.

Apprentices complete 288 hours of classroom instruction and 4,000 hours of on-the-job training during the two-year program.

At the end of each 1,000-hour period, apprentices are required to meet milestones to show progress. This successful completion every six months or so results in a wage increase.

It’s a plus if a candidate has good math skills, but Bynum said her agency provides supplemental services to shore up basic math skills when needed. “Math is such a huge part of the industry,” she said. There are always charts to read, measurements to take and gauges to monitor to ensure systems are functioning properly.

Water systems and water treatment systems operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, Bynum said.

“It’s recession proof.”

Visit www.ncrwa.org to learn more or contact Bynum at 743.202.0971 or apprenticeship@ncrwa.org.

 

 

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TownTalk: Purr Partners Prepares For Kitten Season

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Having a pet can be a wonderful experience – who doesn’t love the idea of a cute little furr ball greeting you when you come home after a hard day’s work?

But with pet ownership comes responsibilities, in addition to general care and trips to the vet, and Lawanna Johnson sees the consequences first-hand when pet owners don’t live up to their end of the bargain.

Johnson is president and founder of Purr Partners, a feline rescue dedicated to saving cats and kittens and finding them forever homes.

The nonprofit was established in 2009 on a shoestring budget and today thrives as a leading rescue, foster and adoption facility for cats and kittens. Johnson spoke with WIZS’s Bill Harris Thursday on a recurring segment of TownTalk called Pets and People.

“There is really an epidemic right now going on of cats being dumped everywhere,” she said. Five years ago, Johnson and others in the rescue world could identify a “kitten season,” usually in the spring, with little or no kittens in February or March. But now, “kitten season is really becoming year-round here in North Carolina,” she said.

Whether it’s because of the economy or because of the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting the spay/neuter clinics, there are a lot of cats and kittens making their way into shelters and rescue organizations like Purr Partners.

And they’re not in great health. “It’s heartbreaking,” Johnson said. “They’re not thriving, they’re not surviving.” It costs thousands of dollars to get them healthy, she added. Dollars that come from the generosity of regular donors and from fundraisers, like the Purr Partners “Black Cat Bash” held in October each year.

Purr Partners relies on donations and fundraisers to continue their work, which includes taking adoptable cats to three Petsmart locations in the Wake Forest/Raleigh area.

Volunteers are on hand from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. each weekend at the PetSmarts in Wake Forest, and the stores at Capital Blvd. and Millbrook Road and Six Forks and Strickland.

Adoptions begin with an application, which provides Purr Partners staff with information to help find the perfect match.

“You’re making hopefully a lifetime commitment,” Johnson said. “You want it to be happy and you want to be happy with it,” she said of the cat or kitten that you choose.

But realistically speaking, thing don’t always work out. And that’s ok. Purr Partners has a two-week trial period, so it it doesn’t work out, you can bring the cat back and either try again or get your adoption fee refunded.

Visit https://www.purrpartners.org/ to see the cats available for adoption or to sign up to volunteer.

 

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TownTalk: Osteopathic Medicine Helps with Those Aches And Pains

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There are lots of reasons why people develop arthritis – either we’re genetically predisposed to achy joints, we’ve suffered an injury that later brings on pain or it could be just simple wear-and-tear on our bodies that produces the aches and pains we associate with getting older.

But Mark Messmer, a doctor of osteopathic medicine, says treatment of arthritis is not a one-size-fits-all approach. And people who suffer with some forms of arthritis may have more options today than they would have had, say, 20 or more years ago.

Messmer has been practicing osteopathic medicine at Maria Parham Health since he left the Navy back in the summer of 2022. He spoke with John C. Rose Wednesday on TownTalk about his experiences in the Navy and how the journey that led him to Henderson.

During his service with the Navy, he said he got to treat military personnel coming back from war. “That really pushed me into orthopedics,” he said, adding that is the area where he felt he could make the biggest contribution.

He said it is gratifying to be able to offer someone a potentially life-changing surgery.

When he left military service, he said he was looking to work in a small community with a community hospital. He and his wife both are from Michigan, and after experiencing one relatively mild North Carolina winter while Messmer was at Camp Lejeune, they both decided it was way better than freezing in Michigan.

With close to 10 years of practice now under his belt, Messmer said he’s seen advances in the way the medical community can help arthritis sufferers.

And he offers some practical advice for anyone who is dealing with what he calls “little nagging injuries:” Don’t ignore them.

“It’s always good to get it checked out,” Messmer said, instead of brushing it off or ignoring it. Often, those conditions simply progress, which cause bigger problems sooner rather than later, he said. And once that happens, he said treatment options narrow.

If you think of the cartilage in your joints like the treads on a tire, you can understand that the cartilage, like the treads, wear over time. And although tires can be replaced, it’s not quite that simple with cartilage.

In some cases, the whole joint can be replaced – think knees and hips.

But there are things that can slow the progression of cartilage loss – from exercises that decrease stress on joints to reducing inflammation that causes the cartilage to break down in the first place.

Surgery isn’t always the first – or best – treatment option, Messmer said.

There are many options to consider before surgery, including the use of braces and injections.

In the months that he’s been working in Henderson, he said he’s seen patients with arthritis in their hips, knees and shoulders, as well as rotator cuff problems and lower back pain.

In some cases, less invasive treatments can do the trick, and Messmer said lots of patients find relief from braces, or steroid injections, or regular visits to the chiropractor.

“The last thing people want to hear about is surgery,” Messmer said. “If you’re seeing a chiropractor and you’re getting results, by all means keep doing it.” As long as symptoms aren’t worsening, he said, keep using the less invasive options.

Joint replacements are lasting longer now, and Messmer said it’s possible that we’ll see  robotics-style devices being used in the future. “It’s not for every patient,” Messmer said, “but certain patients with complex joints could benefit” from robotics devices.

There were fewer options for patients with arthritis 30 years ago, but fast-forward to today and there are all different types of treatment, including using different lubrications in joints that mimic cartilage.

Providing pain relief for mild to moderate arthritis, in some cases, keeps surgery at bay for years, he added.

Make an appointment with Messmer or his colleagues at Maria Parham Health’s orthopedics office to learn what options may be best suited for you. Call 252.436.1314 or visit https://www.mariaparham.com to schedule a visit.

 

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Kerr Tar Workforce and NCWorks

TownTalk: CyberHIRE 2023 Makes It Easy To Find A New Job

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Job seekers and employers will get a unique opportunity to “meet” later this week during a Cyber Hire event sponsored by the Kerr-Tar COG.

Employers from across the five-county region – Vance, Granville, Warren, Franklin and Person – will make presentations that will be livestreamed to a site in each of the counties, where prospective employees will be gathered, explained Desiree Brooks, business services manager of KTCOG’s workforce development board.

This hybrid hiring event is just another way that KTCOG connects employers who are looking for workers and individuals who are looking for employment, Brooks told John C. Rose on Tuesday’s TownTalk.

She and co-worker Adam Perkins said the CyberHire 2023 event creates a convenient way for employers to participate without having to leave their offices. Participants will be checked in and all settled in their spots beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 24. The presentations will begin promptly at 10 a.m. and will conclude about 12 noon.

Each county has its own site where the CyberHire 2023 can be viewed:

  • Vance County – NC Works Career Center, 826 S. Garnett St., Henderson
  • Granville County – VGCC South Campus in Creedmoor
  • Warren County – Warren Memorial Library
  • Franklin County – VGCC Franklin Campus, Louisburg on Hwy. 56
  • Person County – Business Development Entrepreneurship Center, 105 N. Main St., uptown Roxboro

Brooks said they wanted to bring back the in-person events after things got shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic. The KTCOG has held outdoor events in the area, and she said the hybrid event will be convenient for everyone involved and has been strategically planned for effectiveness.

“They all need employees,” she said of the companies and manufacturers that will be represented Friday. “This is an opportunity for these employers to be in the comfort of their offices” while making a pitch to prospective workers.

The presentations will be viewed live, but in “listen-only” mode. Brooks said she expects follow-up interviews to be scheduled quickly so hires can be made.

Among the employers taking part in Friday’s session are: Versatrim, Maria Parham Health, International Paper, CertainTeed, Altec and Warren Correctional Institute. The positions range from machine operators and manufacturers to administrative positions, Perkins said.

“We have an array of employers from all of our counties,” he added.

Brooks agreed, adding that “every single employer will be promoting positions that pay a minimum of $16 an hour. They’re going to be learning about some great opportunities,” she said.

To learn more about this and other KTCOG programs, call 252.598.5200 or visit

www.kerrtarworks.com

 

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TownTalk: American Legion Post 60 Celebrates 100 Years

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Henderson’s American Legion Post 60 is celebrating 100 years of service to the area with a special program Saturday evening to mark the occasion.

Post 60 Commander Ted Grissom reminds members of the program that is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 25, beginning at 6 p.m.

Post 60 Vice-Commander Hartwell Wright spoke with John C. Rose on Tuesday’s TownTalk and he said the local post provides support to military veterans in the area.

One goal on the horizon for Post 60 is establishing a veterans memorial in downtown Henderson. Although the idea is in the early stages, Wright said he hopes to have details soon about a tangible way to honor the military veterans of Vance County.

Wright recalled the early days of the American Legion in the U.S., when Congress decided that the newly established group would be the voice for veterans. The American Legion was instrumental in the formation of the Veterans Administration, he noted.

One of the group’s goals, Wright said, is “to keep the membership strong so we can be relevant in the future.” One way the local post supports veterans is with financial help. “When there is a significant need brought to our attention, we do our best to help that veteran,” Wright explained.

Membership is strong at this time, he said, adding that more veterans from the Vietnam and Iraq conflicts are choosing to participate in legion activities.

“It’s imperative on us to continue to recruit…so the future will be bright for the American Legion and the veterans we serve,” Wright said.

Among the activities planned for the program Saturday is a presentation of the post’s history by Ret. Col. Ed Blue.

“It will be the highlight of the event,” Wright said.

The event will be held at the Post 60 building, located at the corner of Garnett and Spring streets and will include a covered dish supper.

In addition to local post leaders, American Legion division commanders, vice-commanders and other district, state and local dignitaries are expected to be present. And although this particular event is by invitation only, American Legion leaders want to make sure that all local veterans know about ongoing activities that Post 60 participates and to raise awareness about services and membership in the organization.

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Lillian Brooks, Oxford Prep Senior, Chosen For UNC-CH Morehead-Cain Scholarship

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Lillian Brooks, a senior at Oxford Preparatory School, has been selected for the Morehead-Cain Scholarship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is the daughter of Angela and Chris Brooks of Oxford.

Brooks, set to graduate summa cum laude, also serves as senior class president and participates in numerous groups at Oxford Prep, including the school’s chapter of the Student Government Association, which she helped establish, according to information from OPS Executive Director Andrew Swanner.

She is a student board member of the school’s board of directors, and a member of the Beta Club and the Tri-M honor society.

Brooks has played soccer and volleyball, and she enjoys her involvement in various musical groups, including the school’s concert choir, jazz band and concert band.

She plays piano and enjoys singing in the Oxford Baptist Church’s youth choir.

And if all that is not enough, she works as a lifeguard at Forest Hills Pool in Oxford, as well as in the Oxford Prep Griffins Nest after-school program.

The Morehead-Cain scholarship provides a four-year, fully funded educational experience for incoming students at UNC-CH, selecting recipients on qualities including leadership, character, scholarship and physical vigor.

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Henderson Man Jailed On Drug, Federal Detention Order

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A Henderson man is in jail on a couple of charges, one of which is possession of cocaine, according to Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame.

Members of the sheriff’s office narcotics unit assisted U.S. marshals locate Terrance Hargrove on Friday, Feb. 17, Brame stated in a press release Monday.

Hargrove, 45, was found in the area of North Henderson and placed into custody on a federal detention order.

He also was charged with possession of 8.6 grams of cocaine, for which he received a $60,000 secure bond.

Hargrove is being held without privilege of bond on the federal detention, awaiting a court date of Mar. 17, 2023.

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TownTalk: Katie Haynes: 2022 Miss U.S. Agriculture People’s Choice

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Growing up in 4-H, Katie Haynes said, she got interested in showing rabbits, something she’s been doing now for 11 years now and still enjoys it.

“4-H really helped boost my public speaking skills and confidence levels,” Haynes said.  She’s likely going to continue using those skills and more as she travels to Alabama this summer for a pageant competition.

But this isn’t just any pageant – Haynes is the 2022 Miss U.S. Agriculture People’s Choice winner. And she’s not done yet. She and others will be vying for division titles and ambassadorships for the agriculture group, which means making appearances near and far to be speak up for agriculture.

In fact, Haynes is in California this week for the World Ag Expo. She was on her way to an orange farm when John C. Rose caught up with her by phone to talk about the road to Enterprise, AL and a pageant that she and other young women will be competing in this summer.

The contestants achieve different levels through attendance at events and through raising money. Haynes represented Granville County in the 2021 Miss U.S. Agriculture pageant and took home the people’s choice award in 2022.

And although she lives in southern Granville County, she seems to do a fair amount of traveling within the state and outside the state to lend support to causes like AgrAbility, a federal program that operates through N.C. Cooperative Extension.

AgrAbility helps provide support to veterans, the elderly and disabled persons that allow them to get back into agriculture, despite physical challenges or limitation – “get people back to what they love.”

Haynes herself uses a wheelchair, having been diagnosed with chronic illness when she was a teenager. She’s glad to be a role model for others, she said, offering them a true picture of inclusion.

“My platform is to educate people to make sure everybody has a place in agriculture,” Haynes explained.

Whether she’s exploring orange farms in California or photographing livestock (another favorite pastime), Haynes said it’s been wonderful to meet such a diverse group of people who share a love of agriculture.

“I’ve been able to connect with a lot of different types of people in agriculture,” she said. “And it feels like one big family.”

What else is in store for this dynamic young lady?

She said she’d love to become a motivational speaker.

Watch out, world. Here comes Katie Haynes.

Find Haynes’s nonprofit organization, “Smiling While Sending Hope” on Facebook and Instagram.

Sponsorships for Katie’s upcoming competition help defray costs for hotels, gas and for the dresses that are being created for the pageant.

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TownTalk: Corbitt Preservation Reissues Book In Digital Form

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By all accounts, Richard Johnson Corbitt was an excellent businessman and a person of high character, but he probably wouldn’t have believed that anyone who said that someone in the future would be able to put an entire book inside a piece of plastic smaller than a pack of chewing gum.

Corbitt’s company operated right here in Henderson between 1899 and 1954, manufacturing countless buggies before retooling to make the iconic Army truck that would become the workhorse of World War II.

Dick Callaway and two others wrote “Star of the South,” a book about the Corbitt Truck Company published more than a decade ago.

Ken Stegall and others who work with the Corbitt Preservation Association are making the book available again.

Stegall spoke with John C. Rose on Wednesday’s TownTalk about the project. He said the book sold out relatively quickly – “quicker than we thought” and for the last couple of years, members of the association’s board have been investigating the possibility of reprinting the book.

That proved to be quite costly, so they decided to take a page from old Mr. Corbitt himself and come up with a Plan B: Just like Corbitt pivoted from horseless buggies to go into full-time truck production, Stegall said the board decided to digitize the book and put it on a thumb drive.

“It’s the easiest way to get the story out there again,” he said, adding that the association has a high-definition scanner that was used to recreate the 122-page book in a digital format.

The first three copies were mailed out today, he said.

The cost is $20, which includes shipping. Want to place an order? Contact Stegall at 252.432.6476 or via email at gjammer35@aol.com, or visit www.corbitttrucks.com and find the information on the bulletin page.

The interest in Corbitt trucks and other vehicles that were manufactured here is high, Stegall said, and he said it is surprising to find specimens of the trucks in France, tractors in Brazil and even a car right up the road in Greensboro.

A woman called to say she had a Corbitt automobile in her garage, which Stegall said he found almost unbelievable. He said he remembered thinking, “Surely, you don’t…it’s not possible.” But she sent a photo and, “sure enough, there’s a wooden touring car setting on a set of sawhorses, with Corbitt right there on the dash,” Stegall recalled.

Visitors are welcome to the annual “Spring Fling” at the museum, an all-day event planned for Saturday, Apr. 22, Stegall said. There will be plenty of vehicles and other memorabilia on display then, as well as for the truck show and reunion, which will take place during Henderson’s signature weekend festival “Show, Shine, Shag and Dine” on Oct. 21.

 

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Vance County Logo

TownTalk: Vance County Receives Positive Audit Of Finances

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Vance County Manager Jordan McMillen said the county’s audit for FY 21-22 was a good one, overall.

And while the results of the audit may not have been a surprise, it’s always a relief to get the official word from those outside auditors that things are going along smoothly.

“In terms of financials, we had a year where operating revenues exceeded expenditures and we were able to maintain our fund balance with transferring out $4.5 million from the general fund to the capital fund in the spring of 2022,” McMillen explained in a written statement to WIZS News, as a follow-up to the February commissioners’ meeting.

That $4.5 million transfer was made to help with future capital needs such as physical improvements to the jail and a potential EMS station, he said.

But county leaders can’t spend what they don’t have.

“On the revenue side, we saw a second year in a row of sales tax and property taxes coming in more than budgeted,” McMillen said. Those higher-than-budgeted figures, along with continued efforts to keep other expenditures below budget teamed up to make for a positive financial report.

He added that although the previous tax collection rate was quite high at 97.6 percent, it ticked up to its highest level last year at 97.73 percent.

One bright spot comes with the increased revenues from the water system. “We are continuing to see improvement,” McMillen said, adding that the county “brought in $43,399 more in revenue than expenditures even though there was a net loss of $155,136.” That net loss is figured in when accounting for depreciation for system components which are approaching 10 years of use.

There were no transfers from the general fund to the water fund in the 21-22 budget, which shows that it continues to be “self-sufficient” in terms of generating enough cash to support itself.

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