The Local Skinny! Granville Co. Beekeepers Are Abuzz With Events

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Christina Henthorn stays as busy as the proverbial bee, and this weekend she and fellow bee enthusiasts are putting on a couple of events that will serve several purposes, not the least of which is to provide the community with some great entertainment.

Bring the family to a free event on Saturday, Oct. 29 at Highrock Farm, located just outside Oxford on Enon Road, for the inaugural “Bees and Boos.” This event features outdoor games and trick-or-treating for the children and more than 30 vendors and other activities sure to please. There will be a table set up where tickets may be purchased, which creates a carnival-like atmosphere, she said.

There will be freshly pressed cider and a do-it-yourself candy apple station, thanks to a generous donation of apples from Moore’s Produce in Stovall, Henthorn said.

The first part of the Saturday doubleheader is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., she told John C. Rose on Monday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

The Lord Granville Association will bring its locally famous hit-or-miss ice cream maker and the Model A Car Club will wheel in some of its vehicles for folks to admire.

The second part of this double feature begins at 6 p.m. with a costume party and concert by Nashville recording artist Zach Top. This kicks off what Henthorn hopes will become an annual “Hum of the Hive” concert series.

Not interested in wearing a costume? No problem, Henthorn noted. “Costume or not, everyone is welcome,” she said. Honey Girl Meadery will bring their mead, which is like honey wine, and a local brewery will bring a beer made with Granville County honey.

“This is not a 21 and over show,” Henthorn said of the evening event, but ID will be checked at the door.

“All proceeds go to N.C. State’s endowment for honeybee research,” she said, adding that the university conducts world-renown research on the little pollinators. Beekeeper associations across the state are helping to raise funds to establish an endowment to ensure that NCSU continues its apiary work.

Can’t make it to the event but want to contribute? Again, not a problem.

“We want to involve everyone around the state,” Henthorn said. “If you can’t make it, you can buy a ticket for a veteran.” Any tickets purchased for veterans will be taken to a military history event being held at the Henderson-Oxford airport Saturday, where they will be donated.

The Granville County Beekeepers, known for its summertime Bee Jubilee, is branching out to create a fall event that focuses on the importance of bees in everyday life. The honeybee was named North Carolina’s official State Insect in 1973 because of its critical role in pollination of the variety of crops produced in the state.

“Raising awareness is just as important” as fundraising, Henthorn said. But she says this weekend’s emphasis is on the “fun” part of fundraising.

Visit Granville County Beekeepers Facebook or the Visit Granville County tourism page to find out all the details.

And visit https://www.ncbeekeepers.org/ to learn more about the endowment.

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The Local Skinny! Maria Parham To Host Breast Cancer Screening

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As part of its observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Maria Parham Health is offering free clinical exams to promote education, prevention and early detection.

MPH Cancer Center Director Kim Smith said staff will be available to walk participants through the process, literally greeting you as you walk into the hospital and then making sure the process goes smoothly. The screening event will take place Thursday, Oct. 27 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

There will be snacks and other goodies, as well as giveaways and door prizes, too, and Smith encourages women to bring their families, neighbors or anyone who may benefit.

“Knowledge is definitely power,” echoes hospital social worker Hope Breedlove. Whether the news is all good, or whether there needs to be some follow-up diagnostic care, “knowing what we need to do to be healthier gives us a sense of power in our lives,” Breedlove said.

Both women spoke with John C. Rose on Thursday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

Anyone who attends the event will be seen, a doctor will discuss the results with the client and then staff will review any next steps that need to be taken. Follow-up care will be scheduled if necessary.

In addition to the exams, the event is designed to educate people about how to be healthy, Smith said. “We know that early detection is what saves lives,” she said, while stressing the importance of getting screenings done in a timely fashion.

Smith said staff will walk participants through the entire process, “and provide support every step of the way.”

This event, as with previous events, requires no advance registration and follows COVID-19 recommendations, including wearing masks to maintain a safe environment for all.

 

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Home And Garden Show

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

  • Start preparing your leaf collection equipment.PPE, rakes, leaf blower.
  • You have missed the preferred planting window for tall fescue. Consider carefully before investing heavily in seed, etc.
  • Now is a good time to control fire ants. Use granule fire ant bait on days ants are actively foraging
  • Plant a cover crop on vacant areas of your garden.
  • Prepare to compost those leaves. Do Not Burn Leaves!
  • Don’t be too quick to tidy up your garden.

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The Local Skinny! Jobs In Vance 10-18-22

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The H-V Chamber of Commerce and WIZS, Your Community Voice, present Jobs in Vance for October 18, 2022. The Chamber compiles the information, and it is presented here and on the radio. Contact the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce at 438-8414 or email michele@hendersonvance.org to be included.

Lowe’s
Position: Fulfillment Team Lead
Full-Time. The Fulfillment Lead spends most of his/her time checking, managing, and fulfilling orders. These orders consist of online, pick up later, delivery, install and pro. As Fulfillment Lead, he/she provides supervision, coaching, and support to the Fulfillment Associates. This associate also assists by making recommendations to solve issues and by prioritizing work to meet customer needs. Generally scheduled 39 to 40 or up to 25 hours per week, respectively; more hours may be required based on the needs of the store. Requires morning, afternoon and evening availability any day of the week. Ability to read, write, and perform basic arithmetic (addition, subtraction), 6 months of experience using a computer, smart phones, tablets, including inputting, accessing, modifying, or outputting information. Customer Service experience is a plus.
How To Apply: Apply online at https://www.lowes.com/store/NC-Henderson/0738. Scroll to bottom of home page and click on careers. Or apply at www.indeed.com

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Executive Personnel Group (Hiring for local business/industry)
Customer Service Representative – Hiring now for multiple positions. Full-Time, $12.50 per hour. Must be 18 years of age or older. High school diploma/GED required (Associate degree in a business related field preferred). Ability to remain professional and courteous with customers at all times. Excellent verbal and written communication skills are required. Job responsibilities include answering incoming customer calls regarding product, service questions and general client concerns. Responsible for maintaining a high level of professionalism with clients and working to establish a positive rapport with every caller. Update customer information accurately in the customer service database during and after each call.
How To Apply – In person at Executive Personnel Group office on Dabney Drive, or online at https://www.executivepersonnelgroup.com/ and click on “job seekers” tab at top. Can also apply online at www.indeed.com.

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Kittrell Job Corps Center (Adams and Associates)
Guidance Counselor. Full-time. Salary from $45,850 a year. Day hours, 8 hours Monday – Friday. Responsible to provide students with comprehensive and individualized case management ensuring student progress, retention and completion of the Job Corps program. Establishes supportive/mentoring relationships with students throughout their enrollment and provides personal, educational and career counseling.
How To Apply – Apply online at https://kittrell.jobcorps.gov/ For questions, or email your resume to the Human Resource Center at williams.angelap@jobcorps.org.

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Classic Toyota of Henderson
Sales Associate. Full-time. Assist customers in selecting a vehicle by asking questions and listening carefully to their responses. Explain product performance, application, and benefits to prospects. Describe all optional equipment available for customer purchase. Build strong rapport with customers. Perform high-quality, professional, and knowledgeable presentation and demonstration of new/used vehicles. Learn to overcome objections, close sales, and perform all other steps of the sales process in accordance with company standards. Previous dealership experience is a huge plus.
How To Apply – Apply on company website at https://www.classictoyotahenderson.com and click on About Us/Employment tab at top of page.

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Vance County Public School System
School Nutrition Cafeteria Assistant. Full Time (6 hours per day) / Non-Exempt. Qualifications: Experience in commercial or institutional food service, school setting preferred; High school diploma or equivalent; vocational training; OR a combination of education and experience; Cashier skills required; ServSafe® Certificate or NC Safe Plates Certificate preferred. Prepare and serve food, use cash register to process financial transactions, and cleaning duties. Must be service-oriented,bcooperative with pleasant attitude toward students, parents, staff and administration. Rotate frequently to all Vance County cafeterias, according to the specified assignment as determined by the needs of the school district.
How To Apply – Apply online at https://www.vcs.k12.nc.us/ and click on Programs and Services tab at top. Questions, call Human Resource Department at 252-492-2127 .

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Carolina Sunrock – Kittrell, NC Location
Equipment Operator. Full-time position, Monday – Friday, 7 am – 6 pm with some weekend work as required. Equipment Operator is capable of operating various pieces of equipment. The Equipment Operator helps do multiple tasks to keep the operations in motions. Operates mobile machinery and equipment used to drill, blast, crush, screen and load hard rock, sand, gravel, and other raw materials as needed. Responsible for the movement of materials, to perform preventative maintenance & minor repairs on equipment, and working with others on daily goals of production.
High School Diploma or General Education Degree (GED) preferred. Three (3) to Five (5) years prior related experience required.
How To Apply – Apply online at https://www.thesunrockgroup.com/locations/kittrell/. For questions, please call 1-855-OUR ROCK.

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Some of these businesses are present or past advertisers of WIZS.  Being an ad client is not a condition of being listed or broadcast.  This is not a paid ad.

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Election Coverage: Brame Targets Drug Activity, Addressing Staff Shortage If Elected To Second Term As Sheriff

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-The following is part of WIZS’s continuing coverage of the Nov. 8 election.

Curtis Brame said he looks forward to a second term as sheriff and working collectively with the community to keep Vance County residents safe. During his first term, Brame has had to contend with issues like staffing shortages and increased service calls, deficiencies in the county jail and the burgeoning drug activity. Toss in a two years’ long COVID-19 pandemic, and Brame said it’s been challenging.

But, with his more than 38 years of law enforcement experience, Brame said he knows the “ins and outs, the do’s and don’ts” of the sheriff’s office. “Experience makes the difference.”

Illegal Drug Activity

He said his office gets calls daily about the drug problem, and he said that his personnel cannot do it alone. “We have to educate and train people to say ‘no,’” Brame said in an interview with WIZS’s John C. Rose recorded and aired unedited on Monday.

The traffickers and sellers need to be in jail, he said, but parents have to get more involved in educating their children. “It all comes back to education and training,” he said.

When his office receives a citizen complaint about drug activity, Brame said it’s not as simple as kicking in a door and making an arrest.

“It’s a process,” he explained. Once officers follow up on the complaint and investigate, it’s time to take information to the district attorney and other agencies like the DEA.

Following proper procedure in building a case against a suspected dealer means a better chance of getting a conviction.

Administration

 “The sheriff’s office has a multitude of jobs and responsibilities,” Brame said, from transporting mental patients to processing concealed carry applications and gun permits to making arrests and serving civil summonses. “People don’t realize those responsibilities,” he noted, adding that being a sheriff’s deputy is more than “knocking in doors and serving warrants.”

The caseload is overwhelming for a fully staffed sheriff’s office, but can be almost crippling to an agency that has more than 30 opening between the sheriff’s office and the detention facility.

But Brame said Vance County is not alone – law enforcement agencies across the state and beyond face staffing shortages.

Brame said he appreciates the support from county commissioners and from the county manager to offer incentives for new hires – and for moving forward with a feasibility study to examine just what needs to happen at the jail – repair or replace the 30-year-old facility.

Brame said he stands by his decision to place on paid suspension the three men from his office who face indictments. As stated in previous interviews, Brame said a gag order imposed on him prevents his comment on the case, but said “they want their day in court, I want their day in court.”

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The Local Skinny! Advance Auto Partners With Henderson Police

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It may have happened to you before: You’re driving down the street, trying to get from here to there, when you see the blue light in your rear-view mirror, accompanied by the woop-woop of the police car, telling you to pull over.

Such encounters with the police for minor infractions like broken taillights or burned-out headlights could end with the driver being issued a $25 gift card instead of a citation.

That’s exactly what could happen, thanks to a new safety initiative announced Thursday at the local Advance Auto Parts on Raleigh Road.

Advance District Manager Jay Matthews wanted to do something special for Henderson, which has two stores – one at 390 Raleigh Road and one at 400 Prosperity Drive.

Drivers who get pulled over for faulty equipment – think broken or non-functioning lights, for example – will get a $25 Advance Auto Parts gift card to help pay for repairs from Henderson police officers, as a way to encourage them to make those minor repairs.

The program is the only one of its kind in the area, and it’s designed “to increase roadway safety for local motorists,” according to a press statement issued Thursday morning.

Advance’s store team presented Police Chief Marcus Barrow and Henderson police officers with an Advance gift card donation of $1,500 to begin the initiative. “Our local team is thrilled to partner with Henderson Police to promote safer vehicle operations,” Matthews, a Henderson resident, said. “It’s important that motorists on our streets keep vehicle safety top of mind, especially as we’re heading into holiday travel season. We look forward to working with Chief Barrow and everyone on his team on this program while serving our community.”

Barrow said he appreciates community partnerships like this one with Advance.

“Partnerships with a committed community stakeholder like Advance Auto Parts are vital to our success as an agency,” Barrow said. “This partnership will allow us to lessen a financial burden on our citizens and increase vehicular safety, and we thank Jay and everyone at Advance for their support.”

Motorists receiving a gift card may use the card at Advance’s two Henderson locations, throughout North Carolina or online at advanceautoparts.com.

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Home And Garden Show

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

  • Now is the time to start planning your season extension methods. Row covers. plastic , cardboard.
  • If you plan to renovate your lawn do so ASAP.
  • With cooler temps scout your property for fire ants. Granule baits work well when fire ants are foraging
  • Plant a cover crop on vacant areas of your garden, Crimson clover is a good cover crop.
  • Your fall vegetables may need top dressing check your garden journal for when they were last fertilized.
  • Plant trees, shrubs, bulbs, perennials, pansies, strawberries.
  • Now is the time to collect soil samples. Avoid the rush!
  • Harvest sweet potatoes now. Sun cure them by placing them on a trailer and leaving them in sunshine and moving them inside at night. Do this for about 2 weeks after digging.

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The Local Skinny! Jobs In Vance 10-11-22

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The H-V Chamber of Commerce and WIZS, Your Community Voice, present Jobs in Vance for October 11, 2022. The Chamber compiles the information, and it is presented here and on the radio. Contact the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce at 438-8414 or email Michele@hendersonvance.org to be included.

Name of Business- Maria Parham Health

Title of Job- Nephrology Receptionist; Full time. The receptionist greets visitors, performs and provides clerical support services, operates multiple-call switchboard console and routes calls to the appropriate person.  Qualifications include a high school diploma or equivalent, associates degree preferred. 1yr of prior hospital or healthcare experience preferred.

How to Apply- Apply online at www.mariaparham.com/careers

 

Name of Business- Vance-Granville Community College

Title of Job- Administrative Assistant for the Deans of Students Services/ Call Center Coordinator; Full time. $31,737-$47,606 a year. Manages the reception area to ensure effective and professional telephone, email, and mail communications both internally and externally. Supervises all part-time call center staff and provides assistance to students. Qualifications include Associates degree and at least 1 yr of work experience at a community college.

How to Apply- Apply on VGCC website at www.vgcc.edu/careers

 

Name of Business- Brewer Cycles

Title of Job- Receptionist; Full time/Part time. Work hours are Tues-Fri 8:30-5:30pm and Sat 8:30-3:00pm. Greet and welcome guests as soon as they arrive, manage front desk, stock supplies, answer phones, and run errands. Qualifications include computer knowledge and 1 yr. of customer service is preferred.

How to Apply- Apply in person at Brewer Cycles located at 420 Warrenton Rd Henderson, NC 27537

 

Name of Business- Kerr Tar Regional Council of Governments

Title of Job- Communications and Administrative Coordinator; Full time. Starting at $43,000/yr. Communication duties include branding, social media, and website development. Administrative duties include purchasing, IT Support, and scheduling. Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree preferred. Sound judgement, initiative, tact, and courtesy are required.

How to Apply- Send your cover letter and resume to Communications & Administrative Coordinator at PO Box 709 Henderson, NC 27536

 

Name of Business- Vance County, NC

Title of Job- Sr. Administrative  Support Specialist; Full time. Preforms accounting and budget monitoring functions for the department including monthly reports and reconciliations. Collects and reviews data. Provides customer service. Qualifications include Associate’s Degree. Bilingual applicants strongly encouraged to apply.

How to Apply- Apply on Indeed or https://nc-vancecounty.civicplushrms.com/CareerPortal/

 

Some of these businesses are present or past advertisers of WIZS.  Being an ad client is not a condition of being listed or broadcast.  This is not a paid ad.

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The Local Skinny! Zoning And Coding In The City Of Henderson

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About 5 p.m. on Monday afternoon, a group of interested business and community were leaders invited to gather at a local downtown restaurant for a quick bite before walking over to the Henderson City Council meeting that began at 6 p.m.

It’s just one way that this group – participants in a business roundtable group created by the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce – can show support and encouragement to city staff and elected leaders and to be more visible partners in helping to grow the local economy.

They plan to meet again in a few weeks, in advance of the November City Council meeting.

The most recent business roundtable discussion occurred Friday, when Corey Williams, the city’s director of code compliance and City Manager Terrell Blackmon shared information about code enforcement and the proper way to go about resolving issues around code violations and nuisance abatement.

Brian Boyd spoke with John C. Rose on Monday’s segment of The Local Skinny! and he said Williams did a great job “guiding us through and educatying us on code and nuisance abatement.”

The group also discussed a long history of concern for the local area, as business or industry dried up, with little success in recruiting new businesses.
Boyd said it was a case of “if we don’t do something about ‘this,’ it is going to lead to ‘that,’ and ‘that’ is a bad outcome,” he said.

Over the years, as elections bring different faces to the City Council, Boyd said priorities also changed for Henderson.

“I want to compliment the city and the council members for being so actively engaged right now and for working together on things” that affect the well-being of the city, he said.

The process of enforcing city codes is a legal process, Boyd said. There’s a certain way to go about lodging a complaint or voicing an opinion – it’s “not a text message to a council member or to a city official,” he said.

 

 

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Vance County Logo

The Local Skinny! Vance County Jail

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The Vance County commissioners continue to move forward to address issues with the county detention center, and at their meeting Monday chose a Raleigh architectural firm to complete a needs assessment and make recommendations and suggestions about whether to repair or replace.

Moseley Architects worked with Granville County to build its newly completed jail complex, and County Manager Jordan McMillen told WIZS News Thursday that county leaders are hopeful that the needs assessment will provide some options for next steps.

The 30-year-old jail has had some deficiencies in previous jail inspections, from damaged ceiling tiles to peeling paint and other areas that need repair or maintenance. But McMillen said options range from construction of a new jail to an upgrade and expansion of the current facility or even embracing the concept of “regionalization with a neighboring county.”

Commissioner Dan Brummitt told WIZS News Thursday that the concept of jail regionalization is a growing trend, loosely defined as a way for counties to pool resources, allowing for inmates and suspects to be housed in a central facility instead of county jails.

But jails need a full roster of county detention officers to operate effectively, and the Human Resources Committee identified the position of detention officer as one of several hard-to-fill positions.

The commissioners approved giving a $5,000 hiring bonus for new detention officers, as well as social workers who work with child protective services at the Department of Social Services.

Commissioners Carolyn Faines, Archie Taylor and Gordon Wilder comprise the HR committee, and they reviewed turnover data and length of vacancies to identify the top three positions, McMillen said.

In other business, the commissioners finalized the sale of the former DSS building to the Henderson Family YMCA.

“This will pave the way for the YMCA to use this property for their programming needs as they look to the future,” McMillen said. The 9,684 square foot building sits on 2.46 acres at 350 Ruin Creek Rd.

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