‘Pink With A Passion’ Oct. 11 Event To Raise Awareness, Funds

/by

Pink With A Passion is hosting a fish plate fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 11 on the campus of Warren County Middle School as part of its mission to raise awareness and providing financial support for people who need help as they battle the disease.

“Hopefully, one day we won’t have to talk about breast cancer – or cancer of any kind,” said Elaine Tunstall-Smith, a member of Pink With A Passion, a nonprofit based in Warren County founded by breast cancer survivor Amena Wilson.

The fundraiser runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Plates are $12 and include fish, buttered parsley potatoes, green beans and hushpuppies. Dessert and beverage vendors will be on hand at the site, located at 118 Campus Dr., Warrenton.

In addition to the fish plate fundraiser, the “Pink Out for Hope: Cancer Awareness Benefit” will have Pink With A Passion T-Shirts for sale – $20 for short sleeve and $25 for long sleeve, as well as cancer awareness literature and a voter registration table.

The day is a chance to celebrate survivors, honor loved ones, and support awareness in the community. And, of course, a great opportunity to wear pink!

Pink With A Passion is thriving, Tunstall-Smith said, thanks to support from the community, and from family members and friends of individuals who honor and remember their loved ones who have battled – or battle – breast cancer.

“Any efforts we can do to help people be more aware of what’s available,” she said, is what the organization is all about. Early detection through screenings and education provide valuable information that work together to increase awareness of the disease.

The group hosts a walk in the spring and had a “Rainbow” luncheon in June for survivors of all types of cancers.

At that luncheon, speakers shared stories of encouragement and support to those gathered as a way to give hope to those survivors.

“It’s important to celebrate so that hope stays alive for those who are currently fighting a battle,” she said.

Donations from the fundraiser are used to host the events and workshops, support groups to encourage strength and hope to connect with people who are in the struggle.

“Every dollar that we make we try to use to help save lives and support survivors,” Tunstall-Smith said. The group has helped fund transportation, medications and prosthetics.

It’s a way to “just hand somebody a dollar and a smile to remind them that they’re not in the battle alone.”

To learn more, contact founder and president Amena Wilson at 252.213.5735 or Elaine White at 443.983.4742 or visit www.pinkwithapassion.org

Click Play!

Home and Garden Show

/by

On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.

  • The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is open on Saturdays from 8am to 1pm.
  • The Vance-Warren Beekeepers Association will meet on October 13th at 7pm at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.
  • There will be a Home Composting Workshop on October 27th at 6:30pm at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.
  • Collect your soil test now. What you do now will affect next year’s garden.
  • Start collecting your season extension materials.
  • Control any weeds that have started to go to seed.
  • Get ready to compost! Leaves will be falling soon. Do you have a compost bin for the leaves?
  • Check nurseries for trees and shrubs you would like to plant this fall.
  • Clean and store any equipment now that you won’t use till next spring.
  • Check vegetables that have been in storage. Ex: Irish potatoes.
  • Avoid pruning right now.
  • We are in Hurricane season. Have your Storm plan ready.
  • Start ordering your fall planting bulbs now.
  • Check houseplants dust weekly with a soft cloth.
  • Check storage areas for mice.

The Vance County Cooperative Extension Building is located at 305 Young St, Henderson, NC 27536

The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is located at 210 Southpark Dr., Henderson, NC 27536

Click Play!

Perry Memorial Library

The Local Skinny! Life Skills For Teens, VV Mitchell, Fall Festival Await Patrons Of Perry Memorial Library

/by

The second in a three-part Life Skills for Teens series on Money Matters takes place Thursday, Oct. 9 at Perry Memorial Library.

Participants will be assigned different roles to experience how job, education and family growth affect finances, and the library’s Youth Services Director Melody Peters said it’s like having a dose of reality before adulthood gets “real.”

The program is from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Got your first paycheck? Great! Now how much is left after you pay your bills – think rent, phone bill, car payment – the list seems endless. Teens get a chance to learn in a fun way the importance of financial literacy from Coastal Credit Union’s Wendy McCoy.

Then on Monday, Oct. 13, Varonica Mitchell, known by many as “VV” Mitchell, brings The VV Show to the library for a program called “Get Hype About Reading.” Come on out from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. and enjoy an Italian ice from Mac Scoops while sharing all the great things that come from reading.

The Fall Festival is just around the corner and the library staff is busy preparing for all the fun, including games, prizes and more! The festival is from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 21, with a special Trunk or Treat to follow from 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the library parking lot.

Learn more about these programs and all the programs and services at Perry Memorial Library at https://www.perrylibrary.org/home

Click Play!

The Local Skinny! Central Station Marks Fire Safety Week With Open House Oct. 9

/by

There’s just something about a shiny, red fire engine that kindles excitement, from young children to older folks who are still kids at heart. And on Thursday, Oct. 9, the community is invited to come take an up-close-and-personal look at Central Fire Station’s newest piece of equipment – Engine No. 1 – as part of an Open House in observance of Fire Safety Week.

But that’s not the only thing to enjoy, said Battalion Chief Lee Edmonds. There will be pizza, Edmonds said, along with other fire safety demonstrations during the 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. open house at Central Fire Station, located at 211 Dabney Dr.

You can learn how to properly use a fire extinguisher and learn techniques for safely exiting a burning structure in the “Smoke House,” a mobile training trailer that teaches how to get low and crawl in a smoke-filled space.

This year’s Fire Safety Week theme is “Charge into Fire Safety,” which Edmonds said puts an emphasis on those rechargeable lithium ion batteries that find their way into so many household items these days.

“You’d be surprised how much stuff in your house runs off lithium ion batteries,” he said, stressing the importance of their proper use and disposal. It’s important to buy, charge and recycle batteries safely, he said.

The fire station always welcomes visitors, but the Open House will provide opportunities for learning about safety and how to respond in case of an emergency.

Learn more about Fire Safety Week at https://www.nfpa.org/

Click Play!

The Local Skinny! Triangle’s Got Talent at McGregor Hall

/by

Where in the world can you see performances by cloggers and Bollywood dancers, Gospel choirs and more?

Right here in Henderson, on Saturday night at McGregor Hall, of course!

The 2025 edition of ‘Triangle’s Got Talent’ comes to Henderson for an evening that’s sure to entertain. It’s a fundraiser for Henderson-based Hubzone Technology Initiative, which takes donated laptops and converts them to Chromebooks to be distributed to students and others who need them.

Ron Taylor, operations director at Hubzone Technology Initiative, said this year’s top prize is $1,000. There are 17 acts that will be vying for bragging rights – and the case prize.

A silent auction is underway now through Saturday, when all the items will be on display. One of the auction items is a couple of tickets to the McGregor Live! series, Taylor said on Thursday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

The doors open at 5:30 p.m. to give folks a chance to view and bid on the silent auction items. Then the show begins at 6:30 p.m.

Tickets are available at the McGregor Hall box office, online at hubzonetech.org/tgt or at the door on Saturday.

Adult tickets are $30 and $16 for children 13 and under.

This is the first year the event has been held in Henderson, and Taylor said the folks at McGregor Hall couldn’t have been more accommodating, the way staff has worked with contestants, and making sure all the lighting, audio/visual equipment and more is ready for the big event. People have gone “above and beyond” to make sure everything’s in place for the talent competition.

“We’re a grassroots organization based in Henderson,” Taylor said, and much of the work HTI does benefits people in Henderson and the surrounding areas, so it’s fitting that the competition take place where so much of the work happens.

HTI plows the proceeds from Triangle’s Got Talent back into donating those converted laptops to people in households, enabling them to thrive and have accessibility to further their careers or education advancement, he said.

“We want to be able to bridge that Digital Divide and give people no barriers to access,” Taylor said.

CLICK PLAY!

Dabney Drive

Dabney Drive & Potholes

/by

Thank you for listening to WIZS!

Click Play!

Home and Garden Show

/by

On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.

  • The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is open on Saturdays from 8am to 1pm.
  • Collect soil samples now. Don’t guess, take a soil test!
  • If you plan to plant pansies, plant them in a different location to prevent disease problems.
  • Check collards for aphids, cabbage worms, harlequin bugs.
  • Get ready to compost! Leaves will be falling soon. Do you have a compost bin for the leaves?
  • Check nurseries for trees and shrubs you would like to plant this fall.
  • If you have white grubs in your lawn now is the time to control them.
  • Check vegetables that have been in storage. Ex: Irish potatoes.
  • Avoid pruning right now.
  • We are in Hurricane season. Have your Storm plan ready.
  • Start ordering your fall planting bulbs now.
  • Check houseplants dust weekly with a soft cloth.
  • Check storage areas for mice.

The Vance County Cooperative Extension is located at 305 Young St, Henderson, NC 27536

The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is located at 210 Southpark Dr., Henderson, NC 27536

Click Play!

VGCC Foundation’s ‘Fill The Pantry’ Craft Fair Set For Friday, Oct. 10 At Civic Center

/by

— Information courtesy of Vance-Granville Community College Foundation

The Vance-Granville Community College Foundation is planning its third annual Fill the Pantry Craft Fair on Friday, Oct. 10 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the College’s Civic Center in Henderson.   The event supports the VGCC food pantry, which provides essential resources to students in need.  This indoor craft fair is open to the public.

Cost of admission will be three (3) canned goods, nonperishable food items, or paper goods at the door.

Join in for a day of shopping, community, food, raffles and giving back. Local vendors will offer a variety of handmade goods—perfect for early holiday shopping—while helping to stock the pantry shelves.  In addition, grab a bite to eat from Bun on the Run or enjoy a coffee and/or treat from The Double Shot.

“With the holiday season quickly approaching, this show is a fantastic way to celebrate our local crafters while also supporting the community,” said Angela Douglas, VGCC Food Pantry Assistant. “We are excited to host this family-friendly event and help our students at the same time.”

Sheri Jones, VGCC Foundation associate director, said, “We are supported by donations from The Food Bank of North Central NC as well as one of the local Food Lion stores.  We also do a weekly donation pick-up from Strong Arm Baking Company in Oxford and have employees who make monetary donations and product donations.  Since we are able to do our event indoors, we have moved it to Friday afternoon and early evening this year so that it doesn’t compete with numerous other events – most outdoors – that take place on Saturdays in October.”

The VGCC Foundation is still accepting craft vendors to participate in this indoor community event, but spaces are limited. Craft vendors who would like to participate should complete the online Craft Show Interest Form. Vendor fees will be $25 for a 10 x 10 space plus a donated item to be used for raffles. For more information, please contact the Vance-Granville Community College Food Pantry at 252-738-3323 or douglasa@vgcc.edu.

Click Play!

The Local Skinny! County Contract Extension With Rescue Squad Ends Sept. 30

/by

The 90-day contract extension between the county and the Vance County Lifesaving and Rescue Squad Inc. officially ends tomorrow – Sept. 30.

According to Rescue Squad Chief Doyle Carpunky, the rescue squad’s offer to continue responding to calls at no cost to the county has been declined, but it is unclear whether the rescue squad will continue to be dispatched.

So what’s going to happen if the rescue squad gets dispatched on Oct. 1? Carpunky said he hasn’t had clarification from the county but told WIZS this morning that “we’re going to respond to the citizens of our community like we’ve always done.”

Requests from the rescue squad board president and the county fire association to meet with county staff and the county’s Public Safety Committee have been declined.

In an email to Rescue Squad Board President Bill Rainey, Vance County Manager C. Renee Perry stated that the rescue squad would be dispatched upon requests from volunteer fire departments or other partnering agencies. “We appreciate the Rescue Squad’s continuing operations in the County and the County’s 911 center has no problem dispatching upon request,” Perry stated in the email.

Perry told WIZS earlier Monday that the county commissioners will consider an updated operations plan at its November meeting and that the rescue squad will be dispatched upon request only, “not automatically since we don’t have a contract in place.”

Carpunky said the county is rewriting the mutual plan with no input from fire departments or from the rescue squad.

In response to an email from Rescue Squad President Bill Rainey requesting that the rescue squad continue to be dispatched to calls at no cost to the county, Perry listed several reasons why the county is not willing to accept that offer. The email, which Carpunky shared with WIZS, reads as follows:

I have received your request for a contract with no funding and automatic dispatch and I have the below concerns and these are reasons why we will not move forward with the request.

  • The County provides no funding, so it has lost the significant tool for oversight. Financial contributions has historically given the County leverage to require financial reporting, audits, and performance measures. Without that, the County has less authority to ensure consistent and reliable service.
  • Even if no money changes hands, the County would still be a party to the contract. If the Rescue Squad fails to meet service standards or if lawsuits arise from operations, the County could still be drawn into legal disputes without having had the ability to ensure adequate funding for insurance, staffing, or training.
  • Automatic dispatch assumes the Rescue Squad always has available personnel and equipment. If they fail to respond or are understaffed, it creates service gaps and delays for citizens in need.
  • Other agencies (fire departments, EMS, etc.) may already be dispatched and capable of handling the same types of calls. Sending the Rescue Squad automatically could cause overcrowding on scenes, inefficient use of resources, and confusion in command structure.
  • If the Rescue Squad is automatically dispatched under the County’s authority, the County may share responsibility for any failures in response, training deficiencies, or accidents on scene — even though the County isn’t funding or controlling their operations.
  • Automatic dispatch implies reliance and the County cannot ensure the Rescue Squad has proper staffing, equipment, insurance, or compliance with state standards.

Staff will move forward with reviewing the current mutual aid agreement as well as ensuring that the Rescue Squad is dispatched upon request from other VFD or other partnering agencies. We appreciate the Rescue Squad’s continuing operations in the County and the County’s 911 center has no problem dispatching upon request.”

Perry said she had advised commissioners on the information contained in the email and said concerns should be shared with Assistant County Manager Jeremy Jones.

According to minutes from a Sept. 18 special called meeting of the Vance Fire Association, “Assistant Chief Rainey stated Vance Rescue was willing to contract directly with each department, and they had a contract which was distributed to all departments present to look over and would be mailed to the departments not present. As of 10/01/2025 Vance Rescue will be a volunteer department.

“It was stated the County would not be sending a contract and 911 will not be automatically dispatching Rescue after 09/30/2025. Concerns were expressed about filling this void by individual departments.”

Click Play!

The Local Skinny! A Pawsitive Impact in Vance County

/by

A Henderson teen is focused on reducing the pet surrender rate in Vance County as she works toward her Girl Scout Gold Award achievement to make a “Pawsitive Impact.”

Sophomore Neleh-Kate Sandlin said she is partnering with Ruin Creek Animal Protection Society and Vance Cares Community Center to increase awareness to young people about being a responsible pet owner and to offer current pet owners with options other than surrendering a pet in challenging situations.

“I’ve always been an animal lover,” Sandlin said on Thursday’s segment of The Local Skinny!, so she knew she wanted to incorporate that passion into her Gold Award project. “Knowing I can help that cause warms my heart.”

RCAPS has helped Sandlin make connections with other community partners to help spread the word.

“I just want to lower the surrenders,” she said, referring to animals brought by owners to the animal shelter. She created a short video to share local resources with pet owners and prospective pet owners about how to prepare for pet adoption and how to access resources to avoid pet surrender.

She has placed basic pet supplies at the Vance Cares Community Centers at Vance County Middle School and Clarke Elementary to help pet owners when they find themselves in a pinch. And she’s aiming to add the Vance County High School location next.

Find the video and resource list at https://bit.ly/goldpets

CLICK PLAY!