Phase 2 Of Operation ‘Robocall Roundup’ Expands Crackdown On Illegal Calls

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— information courtesy of the office of N.C. Attorney General

N.C. Attorney General Jeff Jackson kicked off Phase 2 of Operation Robocall Roundup, expanding the crackdown on illegal robocalls to include four of the largest voice providers in the country. As part of an ongoing investigation, the bipartisan Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force, led by Jackson, has directed Inteliquent, Bandwidth, Lumen, and Peerless to stop transmitting suspected illegal robocalls across their networks. The letters to the companies are available here.

In a statement Thursday, Jackson said “Phase 2 of Robocall Roundup is about the larger companies that are knowingly pushing through millions of scam robocalls. “We’re giving them thirty days to clean this up. If they don’t, we’re prepared to use every tool we have. The scale of this abuse is outrageous and we’re not going to tolerate it.”

In August, Jackson sent warning letters to 37 smaller voice providers that were allowing suspected illegal robocalls onto the U.S. telephone network. This next phase targets companies with far larger footprints in the U.S. telecom ecosystem. The four companies are continuing to transmit hundreds of thousands – and in some cases, millions – of suspected illegal robocalls.

In 2022, 51 attorneys general joined forces to create the Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force, which is led by North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. The Task Force investigates and takes legal action against companies responsible for significant volumes of illegal and fraudulent robocall traffic routed into and across the United States.

Phase 1 of Robocall Roundup included sending warning letters to 37 companies, with positive results:

  • 13 companies were removed from the FCC’s Robocall Mitigation Database, meaning no provider in the United States may accept their call traffic.
  • 19 companies stopped appearing in any traceback results, indicating they ceased routing suspected illegal robocalls.
  • At least four providers terminated high-risk customer accounts identified as transmitting illegal traffic.

Jackson said the changes demonstrate that enforcement is working. “But to protect the public, the largest carriers must meet the highest standards,” he said.

 

Home and Garden Show

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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.
  • There will be a Small Grain Referendum on December 4th at the Vance County Cooperative Extension Building.
  • Peak season for soil sample. The fees start on November 26. It’s $4.00 per sample with a turn around of 3 weeks.
  • Make a fresh cut at the base of natural Christmas trees before placing the tree in the stand.
  • Take inventory of your garden tools while you are cleaning and storing them. Do any need to be replaced before next spring?
  • Visit a local nursery to purchase your poinsettias. You will likely find a better selection of colors and sizes.
  • You can continue to plant trees in your landscape.
  • Continue composting your leaves. Do Not Burn them!
  • Double check all equipment that has held water this year. That equipment needs to be drained of all water.
  • Select greenery from your landscape to make festive holiday decorations. Ex holly, cedar, pine cuttings.
  • Check cole crops for disease and insects.
  • Remember to use the proper personal protective equipment when doing fall chores.
  • 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

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Perry Memorial Library

The Local Skinny! Perry Memorial Library Holiday Festivities Include Book Sale, Movies And Caroling Downtown

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It’s not a stretch to imagine that librarians love to give books as gifts – in fact, Perry Memorial Library’s Youth Services Librarian Melody Peters says a book “is a gift that keeps on giving.”

So why not do a little holiday shopping at the Friends of the Library’s Back Door Book Sale? It’s happening Saturday, Dec. 6 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the library.

Books are no more than $1 and gift wrapping is free, said Peters.

Proceeds go to support the Friends of the Library, which in turn supports library programming.

There will be hot chocoloate, goodies and a craft activity to create your own special bookmark, Peters said on Tuesday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

The library has lots in store to get folks in the Christmas spirit. Bring the whole family on Tuesday, Dec. 9 for a special showing of the movie “The Polar Express.” The movie begins at 4:30 p.m. and Peters said it’s fine to bring your own snacks – traditional pajama wearing is encouraged, but not required!

The library is kicking off another tradition this year with carol singing along Breckenridge and Garnett streets on Wednesday, Dec. 17. The group will gather at the library at 4:30 p.m. before making its way to the police station and then along Garnett Street, stopping at local downtown businesses to share some familiar holiday carols.

They’ll return to the library by about 5:30 p.m. and enjoy S’mores as a special holiday treat.

“I love caroling,” Peters said. “We’ll sing carols everybody knows,” but she’ll have printouts of the lyrics just in case.

If the weather’s chilly, carolers will most likely be wearing hats, scarves and mittens to keep warm, and Peters reminds patrons and others in the community to bring donations of hats, gloves and mittens to the library to decorate a special tree. The winter clothing items are free for anyone to take who needs them. Donations may be taken to any of the library’s service desks.

Visit www.perrylibrary.org to learn more.

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The Local Skinny! Warren County Football to Play in Eastern Regional Final Friday Night

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The Warren County Eagles are headed to the Eastern Regional finals of the 2A State Football Playoffs following a 40-14 victory the day after Thanksgiving over the Holmes Aces.

Head Coach Victor Hunt said it took a day or two to soak it all in, but the coaching staff and the team are getting ready for the next matchup, set for Friday, Dec. 5 against the Tarboro Vikings.

“To be able to step into that world of December football is absolutely amazing,” Hunt told WIZS’s Scout Hughes and Doc Ayscue on Monday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

Hunt said he’s pleased to see all the positive comments on social media, talking about the team’s accomplishments and hopes for another victory – or two.

If the Eagles- now 11-2 on the season –  win Friday, they’ll play for the 2A state championship.

The Tarboro Vikings are 13-0 so far this season, having easily taken care of East Bladen last week by a score of 54-7.

Hunt has a healthy respect for Tarboro – they broke a record for most consecutive state championships, he said.

In fact, it was Tarboro that ended the Eagles’ playoff run last season, Hunt said.

He said he’d talked with the Tarboro coach and said “it shows that we’re growing as a program that I have to see you again,” he recalled. Last year’s contest was a one-sided win for Tarboro, but Hunt said he’s keeping that in the rear-view mirror.

“I always look at our losses as lessons,” he said. “And we’re back here a year later, just in a later round” to face a team with a long tradition of winning.

This week, practice is going to focus on mental preparation for Friday’s game.

Making sure the kids know their assignments is key to advancing.

Hunt said his team needs to be disciplined, especially on defense. “When you have the opportunity to make the play,” he said, “you gotta make it.”

 

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Home and Garden Show

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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.
  • Peak season for soil sample. The fees start on November 26. It’s $4.00 per sample with a turn around of 3 weeks.
  • Thinking about planting trees and shrubs. You can give Cooperative Extension a call.
  • Take inventory of your garden tools while you are cleaning and storing them. Do any need to be replaced before next spring?
  • Visit a local nursery to purchase your poinsettias. You will likely find a better selection of colors and sizes.
  • Make sure your natural Christmas tree comes from North Carolina.
  • Start composting your leaves. Do Not Burn them!
  • Double check all equipment that has held water this year. That equipment needs to be drained of all water.
  • Select greenery from your landscape to make festive holiday decorations. Ex holly, cedar, pine cuttings.
  • Check cole crops for disease and insects.
  • Remember to use the proper personal protective equipment when doing fall chores.
  • 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

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The Local Skinny! Farm City Lunch Recap

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Behind every juicy, red tomato, tender ear of corn, and plumped out butterbean are untold hours of planting, weeding, watering and spraying. Those gardens don’t take care of themselves, after all.

At last week’s Farm City lunch at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market, Elvin Eaton shared some insights about farming and how he and his wife, Madeline, got their Fairport Farms up and running in Granville County.

Vance County Cooperative Extension Horticulture and Field Crops Agent Michael Ellington said Eaton brought a powerful message to the 140 or so folks gathered for the annual event, and it all tied in to promoting awareness that gardening and farming start small.

Sort of like planting a seed and then watching that seed grow, flourish and then produce something wonderful.

“Farming as a business,” Ellington said.  Many people forget it’s a business – that was Eaton’s key message. And every successful business needs a business plan, a map to get from a starting point to a destination.

The Eatons started small – really small, like microgreens small. From there, they branched out with some high tunnels to extend the growing season and now with hydroponics – that’s growing things in water and not soil.

Forming partnerships with agencies such as the local cooperative extension, FSA and others, the Eatons are using innovative techniques to make Fairport Farms successful.

In fact, the Eatons were named the 2025 Small Farmers of the Year during N.C. A&T State University’s Small Farms Week.

Ellington said oftentimes, when people think of farmers and farming, they envision the acres and acres of row crops or tobacco and lots of mechanized equipment. But backyard gardeners and small-scale farmers are successfully bringing their produce to market.

The vendors who come to the farmers market contribute to the concept of the market being a hub of activity, and Ellington said that’s by design.

“We want to create a community center,” he said, “where the community can gather, learn and grow – coming together through partnerships.”

The market isn’t just a spot to buy and sell vegetables – it’s a place where new gardeners can get help from master gardeners as they plant and cultivate plots in the community garden. The market campus is a backdrop for educational opportunities. Local beekeepers and gardeners can design and install pollinator-friendly gardens.

“We’re thinking of the market as a backdrop where people can learn and then go put (those things) into practice.”

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The Local Skinny! Rebuilding Hope Gets $10K Grant From Coastal Credit Union Foundation

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Rebuilding Hope has received a $10,000 grant from Coastal Credit Union Foundation.

The local nonprofit made the announcement in its most recent newsletter. The foundation provides grants to organizations that make an impact in their communities by offering access to resources and that fit the foundation’s affordable housing initiative.

Coastal Credit Union’s local Branch Manager Karen Jones encouraged leaders to apply for the grant, according to information in the newsletter.

Emily Nail, executive director of the credit union’s foundation, presented the grant award on Nov. 20 to RHI volunteer Robbie Parham and co-director Tom Wille.

Send an email to info@rebuildinghopeinc.org if you’d like to be added to the mailing list.

Visit www.Rebuildinghopeinc.org to learn about all the opportunities available for requesting help or to make a donation or provide a service.

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YMCA

YMCA Continues Local Progress; Increases Local Impact

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Tuesday’s groundbreaking ceremony for the Henderson Family YMCA’s construction project marks the beginning of what Board Chair Vanessa Jones called “the beginning of progress.”

About 100 people were present to witness the groundbreaking, braving the breezy, cool conditions as they gathered at the rear of the former Social Services building, set for demolition soon after Thanksgiving to make way for the new 38,000-square-foot building.

“We’re really excited about this project for our community,” said Bert Long, vice president of H.G. Reynolds, the local firm in charge of the project, which also will include a new outdoor pool with a retractable cover and improved outdoor walking track.

Interim CEO David Caudle said crews will begin work soon to tear down the former DSS building to make way for the expansion that lies ahead. Taking advantage of the Thanksgiving holiday, the Y will be closed from Tuesday, Nov. 25 through Thanksgiving Day. to reconfigure the parking lot in preparation for the new facility. The Y will re-open on Friday, Nov. 28. The Y will remain open during the project, but the outdoor track will be closed from Tuesday, Nov. 25 until renovations there are completed.

The project includes a new wellness facility that will house a full basketball gym, an upper-level walking track, updated weight and cardio areas, and a studio room for classes like Silver Sneakers, step, yoga and more.

The outdoor improvements will include a retractable-dome pool suitable for swim meets, as well as a new playground, multi-purpose sports field and an updated outdoor track.

David Carver, chairman of Henderson Vance Healthcare, Inc., recounted the path thus far, more than three years in the making.

With the purchase of the Social Services building “was really the spark, the momentum to make the journey easier,” Carver said. Thanks to a $1 million gift from local physician Dr. Khanh Vu and wife Elmira Choopani in 2022, the Y was able to purchase the building that formerly housed the county’s Social Services offices.

“This is a big deal,” Carver said, adding that the project will enable the YMCA to expand services and programs for everyone from youth to seniors.

In remarks to those gathered, Triangle North Healthcare Board President Terri Hedrick said the facilities expansion also means an expansion of services and programs for the community to use and enjoy.

Carver said, “Our foundation couldn’t do anything better to touch peoples’ lives…Be proud. You should be – this is yours to be enjoyed.”

Learn more at hendersonymca.org.

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Home and Garden Show

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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.
  • Peak season for soil sample. The fees start on November 26. It’s $4.00 per sample with a turn around of 3 weeks.
  • Thinking about planting trees and shrubs. You can give Cooperative Extension a call.
  • Start setting goals for next year’s garden.
  • Use a leaf blower to keep leaves off your newly emerged grass.
  • Continue planting fall bulbs.
  • Start composting your leaves. Do Not Burn them!
  • Check vegetables that have been in storage. Ex: Irish potatoes.
  • Do not prune anything in your landscape.
  • Check cole crops for disease and insects.
  • Remember to use the proper personal protective equipment when doing fall chores.
  • 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! Winter Activities at Perry Memorial Library

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Even as regular programming slows just a bit at Perry Memorial Library as the holidays inch ever closer, the library staff is still providing a variety of opportunities to encourage people to read.

Take the Holiday Book Sale, for example. Youth Services Librarian Melody Peters said the sale takes place on Saturday, Dec. 6 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Nothing’s more than $1, Peters told WIZS’s Scout Hughes on Tuesday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

Stick around downtown and stake a spot along the parade route to view the Henderson Christmas parade, which begins at 3 p.m.

The fun continues on Tuesday, Dec. 9 with Family Fun Night at the library. Come in your pj’s and enjoy some hot cocoa and cookies as you snuggle in to watch the ever-popular Polar Express, a beloved holiday classic.

“I like to bring back traditions that bring people joy,” Peters said.

She and library staff are trying out something new this year that perhaps will become a tradition – caroling downtown.

It’s taking the place of the December Community Read-In, she said. “It’s a new thing we’re trying,” she explained. The group will head out from the library at 4:30 p.m. and visit area downtown businesses to sing some familiar holiday tunes and then end up back at the library by about 5:30 p.m.

It’s all part of the library’s efforts to reach more people in the community to demonstrate the power of literacy and the importance of reading, she said.

And when you visit the library, whether to check out some reading materials of your own or to participate in some of the programming, Peters welcomes donations of warm hats, gloves and mittens that will decorate the annual Hat and Mitten Tree at the library. Drop off items at any Service Desk, she said, and help make someone else’s winter a bit warmer.

Visit www.perrylibrary.org to learn more.

 

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