The Local Skinny! COVID Has Not Gone Away

/by

There aren’t as many people still following the CDC guidelines that call for mask-wearing in public, but there remain some for whom “COVID fatigue” has not affected.

Schools, hospitals, doctors’ offices and other places that once required temperature checks and masks before entering have loosened those protocols.

Dr. Tracei Ball, a spokesperson for NC Department of Health and Human Services, encourages everyone to stay current on COVID vaccinations to reduce the risk of contracting the disease.

As long as it’s around, people are susceptible, so it’s imperative to stay protected, Ball said.

Ball is chief medical officer for OnCall Mobile Medical and Wellness in the Charlotte Metro area, and she told Bill Harris on Wednesday’s segment of The Local Skinny! that even though COVID no longer steals the headlines and news broadcasts as it did over the past couple of years, it still poses a risk.

“We’re still seeing hospitalizations and deaths,” she said. “We need to stay abreast of what’s happening with COVID regardless of what’s happening in the headlines.”

The bivalent vaccine against COVID works, she said. “That’s going to give you the greatest protection against COVID right now,” Ball said.

And by the way, if the last vaccine you received was before September 2022, you’re due for a booster. And anyone 65 or older or who has a medical condition that puts you in a higher risk for infection is eligible for a booster if it’s been more than four months since your last one.

“If we all work together  and do our part, we protect not only ourselves, but our loved ones as well,” Ball said. “We may have to deal with COVID for some time.”

CLICK PLAY!

 

The Local Skinny! Home And Garden Show 04-26-23

/by

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

  • Protect transplants from cutworms by placing a cardboard collar made from a empty paper towel roll around the stem of the transplant . You can make 4 collars from 1 paper towel roll.
  • Tomato tip: Plant multiple varieties, including cherry and disease resistant hybrids.
  • When planting transplants try to plant them on non windy days.
  • Tomato tip: Provide consistent soil moisture through drip irrigation.
  • When planting seed in conventional rows and we get a hard rain within two days of your planting use a leaf rake to lightly loosen the soil surface to get rid of crusty soil so seedlings can emerge through the top edge of soil.
  • Tomato tip: Look for healthy transplants – stocky, deep green foliage, healthy roots.
  • Don’t over water plants check soil media first if it is moist wait another to water your plants

Click Play!

 

The Local Skinny! Maria Parham Unveils Oasis Room Art

/by

The staff at Maria Parham Health have enjoyed the amenities of their Oasis room for about a year – the massage chairs, a TV, soothing music, beverages and snacks are just a few of the perks that filled the space.

The blank wall was a perfect candidate for some artwork, and thanks to high school junior and budding artist Abi Short, that wall now is the permanent home for a painting Short calls “Peace.”

Short, 16, is the daughter of MPH Cardiologist Dr. Sydney Short. She joined her parents, hospital staff and community leaders as her painting was unveiled Monday.

The idea for the Oasis room came about as hospital employees and health professionals everywhere were strained because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The hospital came up with the idea for a spot where staff could take a step away from the stress of their jobs for just a few minutes – a quick cup of coffee while listening to some music or a few minutes in a massage chair can do wonders during the work day.

MPH CEO Bert Beard told those assembled at the unveiling that the space is a place to recharge and relax. “We want to continue to do things that are going to enhance our workplace,” Beard said, because we know “that enhances the care we give to our patients.”

Cancer Center Director Kimberly Smith is on the hospital’s Awards and Resilience Committee and she said having a spot like the Oasis room helps reduce staff burnout – it’s a place where people can “come in and take a break and a breather,” she said.

Donna Young, MPH marketing director, said the hospital invited employees’ families to enter an art contest to find the perfect painting for the accent wall inside the Oasis room.

“We knew we wanted something really special,” Young said. “We got some wonderful entries…put it to a vote and Abi’s won.”

The young artist described her work as a reflection of memories of family vacations to the mountains.

CLICK PLAY to Hear Unveiling!

 

City of Henderson Logo

The Local Skinny! Leadership Positions Open In the City of Henderson

/by

Vance County and the City of Henderson face several key leadership positions – the openings are the result of different circumstances, and local governments are coping with the vacancies as they continue to look for qualified applicants to fill the jobs.

It was announced last week that Jordan McMillen would be leaving his post as county manager to become manager of the town of Butner.

And Curtis Tyndall has been acting fire chief, but Terrell Blackmon said now the city has begun a search for a permanent chief, following the death of Steve Cordell.

Blackmon said the city continues to operate without a city engineer, a job that has been vacant for a couple of years. The water and street staffs depend on “on-call” engineers, and Blackmon stated that the city has a “very competent engineering staff that handles all of the day-to-day activities.” Public Works Director Andy Perkinson retired in January and the Human Resources Director, Elgin Ward, is set to retire in August.

Blackmon spoke at the recent West End Community Watch meeting and discussed the openings and the effect they have on city operations.

“We are getting ready to advertise for a fire chief, as well as a human resources director. The HR Director will be retiring in August, but we intend to begin recruiting for that position at the same time that we advertise for a fire chief. We have several engineers that we use on-call and for projects that have been handling the professional engineering work for the city,” Blackmon stated in an email to WIZS Monday.

He added that although the position hasn’t been filled, there are several potential candidates whom city staff have spoken with about the job.

henderson.nc.gov/departments/human_resources/jobs.php

CLICK PLAY!

 

City of Henderson Ward 3 Town Hall Meeting 4-27-23

/by

A flier has been distributed for the 6 p.m. meeting April 27 at Shiloh Baptist Church.

Council Member Garry Daeke told WIZS News on April 20 that the Henderson City Council is looking to do a town hall meeting in each ward.  He said it’s so “people will come out and just bring, you know, things forward that maybe they want us to know that they don’t always bring to the council, feel comfortable, you know, coming in front of the council.  We thought we’d go out to them.”

Daeke said there was a plan also to present some information about housing.  He said one of the urban redevelopment areas (URA) is in Flint Hill.  “Probably going to bring some design stuff for that, show them some ideas we have or at least where we are in the process,” he said.

Community development and code enforcement information may be presented as well because the City is looking at beefing up that department.  “We’re probably going to see more inspections of houses and stuff…,” he said.

The floor will be opened up for residents to talk about what’s important to them, according to Daeke.

The City of Henderson provided notice Monday that a possible quorum of the Henderson City Council Members may be present the Ward 3 Town Hall Meeting Thursday.  The notice stated, “This is not a regularly scheduled meeting of the City Council, no official business will be conducted, nor will any official action be taken and no meeting minutes will be produced for this notice.”

 

Granville Vance Public Health Logo

The Local Skinny! Diabetes Program To Be Presented

/by

Granville Vance Public Health is sponsoring a program Monday at the Lincoln Heights Apartment Community Room to talk about Type 2 diabetes and how to reduce the risk of getting that life-changing diagnosis.

Wendy Ji, regional coordinator for the Minority Diabetes Prevention Program, was on TownTalk Thursday to share details about the upcoming event, which includes lunch and drawings to win prizes.

“Let’s Talk About Diabetes” is a free program that will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Ji said. It’s just one way state health officials collaborate with local health departments to help individuals understand how a diagnosis of prediabetes can be reversed with simple lifestyle changes.

The MDPP that Ji coordinates serves Vance, Granville, Franklin, Warren and four other nearby counties.

“It’s very difficult to manage Type 2 diabetes,” Ji noted, adding that this program focuses on helping individuals understand what prediabetes is and how to keep it from developing into full-blown disease.

“Over one in three (people) have prediabetes,” Ji said. But only 80 percent of those are aware that they have it. “Being aware you are at risk is important to know so you can get resources and make lifestyle changes,” she said.

Someone with prediabetes has blood sugar levels that are higher than normal, but they haven’t climbed into the level to indicate diabetes.

More classes will be offered in the fall across the service area, Ji said. Individuals can have their A1C levels tested Monday, but there also is a 7-question screener to help participants understand their risk for developing diabetes.

Visit www.preventdiabetesnc.org to learn more.

Contact Ji at 252.492.7195, ext 125.

En español: Llamar a Elizabeth Lugo, 252.492.7195, ext.269.

Lincoln Heights Apartments is located at 257 Lincoln St., Henderson.

CLICK PLAY!

 

Home And Garden Show

/by

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

  • Use row covers to protect young seedlings from birds Ex sweet corn
  • Risk of frost is low. Should be safe to plant tomatoes marigolds, begonias, geraniums, squash, and other warm season plants. Hold off on sweet potatoes and peppers and okra.
  • Central piedmont Planting Guide is available from Cooperative Extension
  • Vegetables with large seeds are usually very easy to grow as direct seeded crops. This includes beans, corn, squash, melons, and more.
  • Continue your fruit spray program
  • When purchasing vegetable and flower plants, look for stocky plants with deep green foliage, and a strong root system.
  • Always check soil before tilling.

Click Play!

 

Perry Memorial Library

The Local Skinny! Programs For Youth And More At Perry Memorial Library

/by

With National Library Week coming up, Perry Memorial Library Youth Services Director Melody Peters took some time to chat with WIZS’s Bill Harris on The Local Skinny! about the important roles libraries play in society.

Sure, they’re a place where you can go and check out books, but Peters said libraries provide so much more. And the Henderson library is ever-evolving to respond to the needs and wants of the community it serves.

“We’re meeting information needs,” Peters said, adding that those needs vary greatly from person to person. She said patrons feel they get “honest, unbiased advice when they come to the library.”

Whether it’s asking for help finding a resource or searching online for a particular document or website, librarians are always at the ready to assist patrons.

“Not everyone can do everything online,” she said. “They still need that guidance” that comes from one-on-one assistance. You know – the old-fashioned way. “You have to constantly evolve and adapt” to respond to the needs of your community, Peters added.

Perry Memorial Library offers a variety of programs for young people, including Life Hacks and Survival Skills, which offers middle- and high-school aged students workshops on everything from sewing a set of mittens to learning how poetry slams work.

And the upcoming Kids Connect session will feature a poetry workshop with Valerie Rodriguez. That program, geared for kids in grades K-5, will be held Tuesday, April 25 at 4:30 p.m.

Stargazers are invited to head out to the community house at Satterwhite Point Saturday evening for a special astronomy program that begins at 7:45 p.m. Weather permitting, there will be telescopes set up and pointed at the skies for participants to learn about constellations.

There will be plenty of activities inside, too, Peters said, just in case the skies are cloudy.

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

Click Play!

 

Arts In Bloom Gala Features Granville Students’ Artwork

/by

More than 150 original pieces of art created by students from schools throughout Granville County will on display at the Granville Museum – and on the auction block – for the second Arts in Bloom Gala April 25 and April 27.

Granville Ed Foundation Director Jennifer Carpenter said bids will be accepted on the opening day of the event, Tuesday, April 25, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m, and she invites folks to come out and view the artwork and place bids. Bidding reopens at 1o a.m. on April 27 and closes at 8 p.m. when the winners will be notified.

Carpenter and Granville Chamber of Commerce Director Lauren Roberson were on The Local Skinny! to share details about the event, and how the two local organizations collaborated to showcase the art gala, the proceeds of which come back to schools in the county in the form of grants.

Last year’s auction netted more than $5,600, Carpenter said, and this year’s is expected to top that. A reception will be held from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on April 25. The museum is located at 1 Museum Lane, Oxford.

In planning the gala, the women said they intentionally coordinated the art gala on the same day as the kickoff of Alive After Five in downtown Oxford.

Roberson is on the GEF board and she invites the community to take a few minutes to walk through the museum on their way to, or from, the concert downtown on April 27.

The Konnection Band will perform from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., officially opening the 20th anniversary of the popular seasonal outdoor concert series. There will be food trucks, face painting for the kids, as well as offerings from Tobacco Wood Brewing Co. and The Hub on Main.

“We want to get as many people into downtown as possible,” Roberson said, to enjoy the concert and to enjoy the artwork from talented local youth.

Visit https://granvilleedfoundation.org/ or find GEF on Facebook for a sneak peek at some of the art pieces that will be included in the silent auction.

 

CLICK PLAY!

 

The Local Skinny! Granville Gardeners Expo This Weekend

/by

Plant lovers have a heck of an opportunity to find a range of herbs, flowers, vegetable slips and more at the Granville Gardeners Expo on Saturday, April 22.

Christy Henthorn was a guest on The local Skinny! and provided details for what is sure to be a fun-filled event at the Granville County Convention and Expo Center.

And there’s still time to place online orders, Henthorn noted. Visit www.thegranvillegardeners.org and click on the Expo link to get started.

The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will include gardening demonstrations and workshops, as well as more than 80 vendors – mostly from right in Granville County – who have craft items, home décor and more for purchase.

The expo is free to attend, Henthorn said, thanks to the generosity of sponsors.

Want to learn more about attracting birds and butterflies to your garden? There’s a workshop for that. Interested in learning the medicinal qualities of herbs? Yep, there’s a workshop for that, too.

“I’m really excited for this weekend,” she said. It’s a great way to shop local and spend local, she added. The herbs come from a local wholesaler, and for the second year, there is a variety of plants for sale that club members have grown.

The Granville Gardeners welcomes new members. The club meets on the fourth Monday of each month and is known for having gardening experts present on a variety of topics.

CLICK PLAY!