The Local Skinny! It’s Girl Scout Cookie Time

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It’s that time of year again – Girl Scout Cookie time begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday. And NC Coastal Pines Membership Director Teresa Wimbrow says there’s something for everyone in this year’s offering.

Vance County has about 100 girls who participate in the scouting program, but Wimbrow said she is always ready to welcome new scouts, from kindergarten through high school.

Scouts will have nine varieties of cookies for sale – the old reliables like Thin Mints, peanut butter sandwich and shortbreads – but there’s a new variety out this year called Adventurefuls, which is a brownie-inspired cookie, topped with caramel crème with a hint of sea salt.

“I was sold after one,” Wimbrow told John C. Rose on Thursday’s The Local Skinny! “But I tried a few more, just to be sure.”

Visit the nccoastalpines.org to find out just where the cookie booths will be located beginning on Jan. 22. There’s a Cookies+ tab that has lots of information, from local booth locations to descriptions of all the cookies.

“We are trying to be as COVID careful as we can,” Wimbrow said, so the scouts may not be fanning out across neighborhoods and knocking on doors as much this year.

There is the option of purchasing online as well, she said.

The cookies freeze well, Wimbrow said, so you don’t have to eat them all at once. The Buy 5 program enters your name into a drawing to win Girl Scout cookies for a whole year. And then there’s Operation Cookie Drop that sends cookies to U.S. troops.

Wimbrow oversees membership for four counties – Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren – and said “the organization builds girls of courage, confidence and character.  We have so many opportunities for young girls in STEM, travel, building leaders, community service and outdoor activities.”

In addition to looking for new scouts, Wimbrow said she always welcomes new adult volunteers to join the cadre of 50 or so she already has. “I promise (it) will be the most rewarding job you’ve ever had, that‘s not really a job.”

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Home And Garden Show

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

  • Clean your greenhouse check for mice
  • Use annual ryegrass as a temporary cover on bare spots in turf.
  • Plan out your garden now,
  • Be prepared to apply crabgrass preventer earlier.
  • Plan on growing one vegetable that you haven’t grown before.
  • Start checking the planting calendar to see what can be planted.
  • Build a small greenhouse or cold frame to raise your own transplants for 2022
  • If you want to raise transplants indoors, set up a system for artificial light.
  • Order 2022 new released varieties as soon as possible they will sell out quick
  • Get ready to prune grape vines.

 

Around Old Granville: Dr. Helen Chavis Othow

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Dr. Helen Chavis Othow was an educator, a genealogist, an author and a longtime leader in civic affairs in her native Granville County. She also was a wife, a sister and a mother.

Othow died on Jan. 1, 2022 at the age of 89.

Mark Pace and Bill Harris remembered the life and work of Othow to kick off a new segment of The Local Skinny! called Around Old Granville.

The Chavis family has ties to Granville County dating back to the 1700’s, Pace said, when Granville County encompassed most of what is present-day Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties.

The founder of the John Chavis Society, Othow wrote a biography of Chavis, who Pace said was Othow’s 5-times great-grandfather. Chavis was a free Black man who was born in 1763. He became a Presbyterian minister and taught many children of prominent white families in the area. Othow produced in 1990 a genealogy of Chavis and his family, Pace said, and made several subsequent updates in the years since that original publication.

Although Othow moved away from the area to attend university and then continued in her marriage and career, “she always had a connection back to the county,” Pace said. It was important for her to contribute and to give back to Oxford, he added.

She taught at numerous universities through her career, including her alma mater, St. Augustine’s in Raleigh from 1984-1996.

Othow is survived by her daughter, Ojulo Othow Norman, a grandson, Collis Norman and her brother, Dr. Benjamin Chavis, former president of the NAACP.

She is buried in the Chavis family cemetery outside Oxford.

Have an idea for a story for an Around Old Granville segment? Contact Bill Harris at WIZS 252.492.5594 or Mark Pace at Thornton Public Library at 919.693. 1121, extension 204.

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The Local Skinny! Jobs In Vance

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The H-V Chamber of Commerce and WIZS, Your Community Voice, present Jobs in Vance for January 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 christa@hendersonvance.org to be included.

JOB OPENINGS IN VANCE COUNTY – Week of January 11, 2022

 

Name of the Company:   Variety Wholesalers

Jobs Available: Merchandise Buyer – Home Décor and Furniture –  qualifications – are Merchandising background, 2 years of store buying experience required, Bachelor’s Degree in Merchandising or related field preferred, 5 years of product development and sourcing experience

Method of Contact: Interested applicants can go to indeed.com to apply or for more information contact Patricia Overton at 252-430-2042.

 

Name of the Company:  Variety Wholesalers

Jobs Available: Merchandise Buyer – Sleepwear and Intimates – qualifications are- BS/BA level education or its equivalent, 3-4 years’ retail merchandise buying experience, Strong merchandising and product development skills along with strong negotiating, analytical and math skills

Method of Contact: Interested applicants can go to indeed.com to apply or for more information contact Patricia Overton at 252-430-2042.

 

Name of the Company:  Variety Wholesalers

Jobs Available: Merchandise Buyer – Accessories, Handbags and Jewelry – qualifications are-  Bachelor’s degree, Minimum 3 years experience with buying, Excel, Microsoft Word and power point

Method of Contact: : Interested applicants can go to indeed.com to apply or for more information contact Patricia Overton at 252-430-2042.

 

Name of the Company: Variety Wholesalers  

Jobs Available: Buyer’s Assistant – qualifications are – High School Diploma or equivalent, Strong verbal and written communication skills, experience with Microsoft Word, Excel and Power Point

Method of Contact:  : Interested applicants can go to indeed.com to apply or for more information contact Patricia Overton at 252-430-2042.

 

Name of the Company: Variety Wholesalers

Jobs Available:  Associate Buyer – qualifications are – 2-5 years in related retail environment preferred, degree in business related field, strong communication skills, proficiency in Microsoft and Excel

Method of Contact: : Interested applicants can go to indeed.com to apply or for more information contact Patricia Overton at 252-430-2042.

 

Name of the Company: Variety Wholesalers

Jobs Available: Warehouse Associates – 40 hours a week, Sign on and Attendance Bonuses, Overtime as needed. Available Shifts: Monday – Friday 1st shift 6:00am – 2:30 pm and 2nd shift 3:00pm – 11:30pm. Must be able to carry/ lift objects, ability to walk, stand, stoop and bend, ability to work within the seasonal temperature of the building

Method of Contact:  : Interested applicants can go to indeed.com to apply or for more information contact Patricia Overton at 252-430-2042.

 

Name of the Company:  Vance County Government

Jobs Available: Positions are now available with Department of Social Services, Sheriff’s Office, Fire Department, Planning and Development, Emergency Operations, Register of Deeds and more

Method of Contact: For a list of all listings with job descriptions and qualifications go to Vance County website and look under job postings

 

Name of the Company: Turning Point CDC

Jobs Available:  Academic Coach – Support students in areas they are finding difficulties and provide tutoring to students across a broad range of grade levels based on their personal area of expertise. Salary is $10.00 – $13.00 an hour. High School Diploma required, associates or some college preferred

Method of Contact:  apply at https://www.turningpointcdc.org/get-involved or call Chalis Henderson at 252-621-5190.

 

Name of the Company: Turning Point CDC

Jobs Available: Bus Driver – To assist with traveling to events with the Creating Success Mobile Learning Lab. Part-time flexible hours, Must have CDL license and Must provide a copy of valid driver’s license

Method of Contact: apply at https://www.turningpointcdc.org/get-involved or call Chalis Henderson at 252-621-5190.

 

Name of the Company: Turning Point CDC

Jobs Available: Instructional Assistant – should have experience with educational settings, tutoring, academic support and youth development. Will work closely with the Director of Educational Programs, Site Supervisor, parents, and community partners to optimally support program, $13.00 an hr, hours 2:30p.m. – 5:30p.m. Monday – Friday

Method of Contact: apply at https://www.turningpointcdc.org/get-involved or call Chalis Henderson at 252-621-5190.

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.

 

The Local Skinny! Shingles? Ouch!

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A case of shingles can really get on your nerves – literally. The viral infection causes a painful skin rash and accompanying nerve pain that can linger long after the rash has cleared up.

The shingles is associated with the childhood disease varicella, commonly called chickenpox.

Contracting the chickenpox as a 5- or 6-year-old was common and not seen as a big deal, as far as childhood diseases go.

But about 30 years ago, a vaccine was introduced to eliminate or greatly reduce the severity of the chickenpox in young children.

Shingles is not contagious, but it can be transmitted to someone who has not had chickenpox or who hasn’t had the vaccine against chickenpox, according to information on the CDC website.

Shingles is caused by varicella zoster virus, which is the same virus that causes chickenpox. It lies dormant and then reactivates – sometimes triggered by stress – and usually affects older adults or people with weak immune systems. The rash typically appears on one side of the face or body and lasts two to four weeks. But lingering effects of nerve pain, which can feel like tingling or that pins-and-needles feeling can last longer than the rash.

Thankfully, most people only have a single episode during their lifetime, but it is possible to have shingles more than once. The risk of spreading VZV to others is low if you cover the shingles rash. People with shingles cannot spread the virus before their rash blisters appear or after the rash crusts.

People with chickenpox are more likely to spread VZV than people with shingles.

Consult your health professional or primary care provider to learn whether you should get the shingles vaccine. The vaccine is recommended for healthy adults over 50.

The Local Skinny! Blaes Says The Next Two Weeks Is The Best Chance For Snow

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We’re almost one week into the New Year, but already in 2022, North Carolina weather is living up to its reputation of having a little something for everyone. Love milder temps in winter? Check. The high in Henderson was 75 on Jan. 1.

Prefer to have some snow in the forecast to make it feel like it supposed to feel this time of year? Check. A wet snow fell fast and heavy on Monday in the area, but it went as quickly as it came.

Jonathan Blaes with the National Weather Service says that this could be a pattern we can expect, at least for the next couple of weeks.

“It was a really neat storm,” the meteorologist said of the short-lived event that blanketed the area Monday.

Blaes said the dynamic storm system brought a bit of everything to the state, from high winds and at least one tornado in Harnett County and up to several inches of snow near the Virginia border. “A vigorous front will come through tonight (Thursday), and tomorrow will be a crazy windy, blustery day,” he said.

It’ll turn cold behind the next front, too, so it will feel like winter for the next week or so.

If you’re a snow lover, and the next 10 days or two weeks doesn’t do it for you, take heart, Blaes said. Historically, late January brings with it the chance of more wet snow.

From what he and his fellow meteorologists can tell so far from studying global weather patterns, it’s possible that over the next couple of weeks the area could have additional snowfall.

“It’s certainly going to be close enough so if a storm tracks close enough (to the area), we could get some snow.”

The messy mix of precipitation – rain, freezing rain, sleet, snow and then back to rain – is what this area is used to seeing. Meteorologists classify this type of storm as a “Miller A,” which indicates that the storm moves as a single low front tracking from the south. This week’s storm wasn’t a classic Miller A, Blaes said, but the area did see a changeover from rain to snow, back to rain before skies cleared and the sun reappeared.

“If you’re in the right spot, you’ll get clobbered,” from such a storm, like the areas around Washington, DC where almost a foot of snow fell and motorists were stranded overnight on I-95 near Fredericksburg, VA.

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Home And Garden Show 1-5-22

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

  • New Year = New Garden Year Start your 2022 Garden Journal
  • Contact wildlife resources commission for help with wildlife damage issues
  • Start planning your 2022 garden on paper now what are your goals for 2022 garden.
  • Turf weed management is different now.
  • What problems did you have in your 2021 garden? Call Cooperative Extension we can give you recommendations that may solve some of those issues before those problems start in 2022.
  • Start preparing your seeding equipment for growing transplants.
  • Build a small greenhouse or cold frame to raise your own transplants for 2022
  • Consider fruit crops that are easier to grow.

 

The Local Skinny! Vance Eats: Yikky Wingz

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It’s no secret around WIZS that our Trey Snide likes to eat. So when we decided that a new segment of the Local Skinny was to be called “Vance Eats” the natural choice for a host was Trey Snide. Vance Eats had it’s inaugural segment with chicken wings from Yikky Wingz. Owner William Flye supplied Trey with five different types of wings. These included hot lemon pepper, jazzy honey mustard, Yikky buffalo, Yikky gold and garlic parmesan. Fresh carrots, celery and ranch dressing were also a part of the wings plate. “They blew up on social media,” Snide said of Yikky Wingz on the program today. They season and prep each item and, according to the Yikky Wingz Facebook page, the trick to their delicious wings is the secret sauce.

In addition to wings, Yikky Wingz has deep fried pineapple, chicken tenders, gizzards and more. Yikky Wingz is located in the Citgo Service Station at 1208 Andrews Ave. across from Biddie’s Grill. They are open Monday through Saturday 12noon to 8pm.

To check out their entire menu visit their Facebook page. In coming weeks Trey will be sampling many different restaurants around the area both large and small. Vance Eats can be heard as part of the Local Skinny! on WIZS. The Local Skinny airs Monday through Thursday at 11:30am on WIZS 1450AM, 100.1FM and online at wizs.com.

The Local Skinny! Chamber Of Commerce Looks To 2022

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The Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce continues to work to bind the business community and the community at large together through human resource efforts, economic development efforts and through its own participation.

When an entity like a chamber can boast that only a handful of its board members ever miss meetings, it provides evidence to others outside, who are looking in, that the organization believes in itself.

Upcoming, the H-V Chamber will present its membership meeting and banquet, in person, at Vance-Granville Community College. The latest edition of “Envision Vance” will soon be published. And opportunities continue for businesses and individuals to involve themselves with an evolving, growing and relevant chamber of commerce.

Board Chairman Ronald Bennett told The Local Skinny! broadcast Tuesday at 11 a.m. on WIZS that the theme for the chamber this year is “A Year of Community.” He said, “A community made up of businesses, which is our main focus, but also made up of local city, county government, our educational partners, our healthcare partners, nonprofit organizations, our churches, law enforcement, fire, rescue, EMT, first responders and everyone that makes up our community.”

The priority, he said, is to be relevant to members and to “add value to them to help grow their businesses and organizations and connect with our partners.” The goal is to grow the entire community. He said, “Grow, Connect, Prosper. Three words found in the new Chamber logo that we feel are so important as we move forward.”

Chamber President Michele Burgess praised the board of directors and said she was really proud of the “inclusion and diversity that we share on our Chamber board.” She said, “When our nominating committee gets together, we’re very cognizant of that need, and we want it to reflect our community and our business community … and I am just excited about the degree of leadership that we have.”

Burgess explained how the chamber was growing, especially over the last five years. She said, “We have really built up our chamber, our influence, our leadership, and just our involvement from the board.”

The Chamber will celebrate and have its meeting and banquet at VGCC on January 27. Invitations are out to member businesses by email at this time. The deadline to nominate a citizen for the Citizen of the Year Award has been extended to this Friday, Jan. 7. Call 252.438.8414 or email michele@hendersonvance.org to get a nomination form.

The Chamber will soon celebrate having the latest edition of “Envision Vance” as well. Burgess said, “Our Envision Vance magazine is a tool for recruitment of industry, new business, small business, doctors, lawyers, new teachers.” It also features a business directory and is a great resource.

Bennett pointed out a new feature of the Chamber that Burgess added in 2021 – the human resource council. Bennett said it works with all local businesses. “Everyone has an opportunity to be a part of that and come to the table and talk about what we do to improve our workforce, what we can do through Vance Granville and through our schools to prepare our workforce more as we go into 2022 and beyond. So, you know, the HR council is just a great way to get involved,” Bennett said.

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The Local Skinny! Henderson Police Could Soon Have A Robot On The Force

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The Henderson Police Department could have a new tool in its complement of resources to help law enforcement officers as they work to keep the community – and themselves – safe. Chief Marcus Barrow said the remote-control robot would be something that other agencies in the region would be able to use, too.

He and the department are always looking for new tools to help mitigate situations, and when he saw a grant opportunity to pay for it, he applied. “So far, everything’s looking good,” he said. If all goes according to plan, Barrow said the robot could be ready for use in early spring 2023.

The grant, from the Governor’s Crime Commission, would cover $24,500 of the $25,500 price tag for the Vantage robot, which has climbing capability, a camera that can live-stream and an arm that can manipulate objects. If the department is awarded the grant, the city would have to find the additional $1,000.

Its most practical use, Barrow said, probably would be in a hazardous materials situation. “We take hazmat courses every year,” he said, “and we’re warned about the stuff that travels up and down I-85 and in our city.” Having a robot that could be sent close a wreck scene, for example, would help keep officers from being exposed to harmful materials.

With any other piece of equipment, the timeline would involve training and getting handlers used to how the robot works. “I would like it to be here and deployable as quickly as possible,” Barrow said, adding that it would be an added benefit to other agencies in the region, not just for the city’s use. He said once multiple people are trained on using it, the robot would be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Technology increasingly plays a role in the work of law enforcement, and Barrow said a recent grant for body-worn cameras was awarded to the department. But it’s a 50 percent match, and now he’ll be looking for that match. It’s a big expenditure, and Barrow said he “didn’t feel our local citizens should foot that bill” for the entire amount. But with matching grant funds identified, he said the body cameras may be something on the horizon for local police officers, and he added that he planned to go before the city council shortly to request those matching funds.

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