TownTalk: Special “Night to Shine” Prom Slated For North Henderson Baptist Church Feb. 9

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North Henderson Baptist Church is looking forward to being a part of what arguably may be considered the biggest prom night in the world. The church is one of more than 700 locations across the globe that will be hosting “A Night to Shine” on Friday, Feb. 9 and the Rev. Eddie Nutt said prom attendees should expect to get “the absolute royal treatment.”

Sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation, “A Night to Shine” is in its 10th year of providing a prom experience for individuals with special needs, Nutt said on Tuesday’s TownTalk – a segment of society often overlooked when it comes to fun stuff like proms and such.

The prom is for individuals 14 and older with special needs, Nutt explained. They’ll walk the red carpet, get a limo ride around the block and enjoy an evening filled with food, music and dancing – with photographers and videographers on hand to capture those special moments. The prom will begin at 6 p.m. and will end about 9 p.m.

And all this is “to show them the love of Christ,” Nutt said, “that they are loved and they do have value.”

The goal is to have 75 folks attend the prom, and Nutt said there will be a respite room for parents or other caregivers who may want to stay close while their loved ones enjoy a few hours of music and dancing.

Please register by Friday, Feb. 2 so organizers can plan to have enough food and nametags – not to mention crowns and tiaras.

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That’s part of the “royal treatment” Nutt referred to – each prom goer will get a crown or tiara to proclaim them kings and queens of the prom.

“They will get the absolute royal treatment – it’ll be an event that they’ll remember for the rest of their lives,” Nutt said.

Register on the church website www.nhbcnc.org or phone 252.438.8012. Find the registration here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdl_ZNpdQs-TSeAmAuu49azr-n5WhnejlHKKhrZRHBJhhNXTA/viewform

North Henderson Baptist Church is located at 1211 N. Garnett St. in Henderson.

Nutt has been pastor at North Henderson Baptist Church for about three years, but he’s been thinking about how to minister and reach out to individuals with special needs for more than 10 years.

Each time he’d pray about it, read up on it or talk to others at the Baptist State Convention, he said God would speak to him and say “not now.”

But over the past few months, “God has flipped the green light, indicating the time is now,” Nutt explained.

He got a nudge from a woman back in the summer who asked if her special-needs granddaughter could attend the church’s Vacation Bible School.

Her question, specifically, was: Would her granddaughter be welcomed?

That set the wheels in motion for not only the Night to Shine prom, but also a new ministry called Jesus’ Buddies. The half-hour service is at 9 a.m. on Sundays and is specifically designed for special needs youth and their families.

The program uses puppets and lots of visuals to help youngsters with learning challenges “grasp the message and understand the love of Christ,” Nutt said. How many pastors use a flannel board and moveable biblical figures to reinforce their message? Nutt does.

During Tuesday’s program, a caller had nothing but high praise for the Jesus’ Buddies service and said her grandchild is looking forward to attending the Night to Shine prom next month.

“What a blessing North Henderson Baptist and the congregation have been to me and my special needs granddaughter. Rev. Nutt and his wife and the congregation are so friendly…they are such a blessing.”

TownTalk: Martin Luther King Day Events

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As the community reflects on and commemorates the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., WIZS Radio would like to take the opportunity to offer some glimpses into the day’s activities across Henderson and how these actions support the values that Dr. King stood for.

 “All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.”  – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Joseph Brodie, founder of Carolina United for Change, was set up outside Perry Memorial Library on MLK Day to collect much-needed items for area homeless shelters. It’s the third year his organization has undertaken this commitment to provide personal hygiene items, toiletries and cleaning supplies for use at the shelters, and he told WIZS News Monday morning that the community is responding.

“It’s not a flood of people, but they’re trickling in,” Brodie said.

Part of the MLK observance for Brodie is getting out in the community and “doing some footwork” to keep the legacy alive, he said.

One of those foot soldiers was Shelton Lynch, pastor at Guiding Star United Holy Church of America in Manson.

“It’s very important that all of us do something to help others who are less fortunate than we are,” Lynch told WIZS News in a telephone interview from the donation site.

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is ‘What are you doing for others’”?

More than 200 volunteers participated in Monday’s pack-a-thon for Rise Against Hunger and after one hour, the report from the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center was positive: volunteers had packed 15,000 meals, putting them on track to achieve the goal of 60,000 meals by 2:30 p.m. Monday.

Sandra Wiggins, one of the event facilitators, said the goal of raising $25,000 to fund the program also had been met. School groups and church groups from across Vance and Granville counties joined forces at the pack-a-thon to feed hungry people across the globe.

“The time is always right to do what is right.”

Spring Street Missionary Baptist Church on Orange Street in Henderson hosted a breakfast program Monday morning titled “Living the Dream, It Starts with Me –

Spreading Hope, Courage and Unity.”

Those in attendance to commemorate and remember King’s legacy, like Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame, no doubt were inspired by the essays, poems, music and remarks from various speakers including former State Senator Erika Smith and Henderson’s own Jayden Watkins.

“That young man’s going to be a leader…he has the mental attitude to move forward,” Brame said of Watkins, the 15-year-old minister and CEO of Higher Is Waiting, a nonprofit organization. Watkins spoke on King’s impact on society and he told WIZS News Monday that he delivered a message of a need for change.

“I wanted the audience to feel empowered,” Watkins said, “and to make sure we use our voices…for equity, equality and justice for all.”

In looking out at the audience, Watkins said he saw numerous community leaders and elected officials, including Henderson Mayor Melissa Elliott, N.C. Rep. Frank Sossamon, Sheriff Brame and City Manager Terrell Blackmon.

He said he is pleased to see more diverse leadership on the Henderson City Council and said that he feels positive about the community and its forward movement.

“I don’t feel like we’re at a pause,” he said.

“Make a career of humanity. Commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal rights. You will make a better person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in.”

Watkins said he was honored to be among the speakers at Monday’s event and added that he was grateful for Spring Street Missionary Baptist Church for hosting the celebration, calling it “a beacon of hope and a beacon of light in our community.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”

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TownTalk: Contacting NC DOT To Resolve Roadway Issues

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If the heavy rains and high winds earlier this week have created problems along state-maintained roadways, it’s important to let the N.C. Dept. of Transportation folks know about them so proper repairs can be made.

In days gone by, a quick look in the phone book could have produced a local number to call, but it’s not that simple any more.

Or is it?

These days, a quick online search can yield good information about how to report problems. WIZS is making that search one click closer for you: click on https://www.ncdot.gov/contact/Pages/default.aspx to go straight to the NC DOT “Contact Us” page and find out everything you need to know about reporting a problem.

Whether it’s a dead tree hanging ominously over a road, a clogged culvert, pothole or an animal carcass in the roadway, this page can help get the problem to the right folks at DOT to handle the situation.

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TownTalk: Carolina United For Change Prepares Packages For Homeless Shelters

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Come Monday, Jan. 15, communities all across the nation will host events and sponsor service projects to pay tribute to slain Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

And for the third year, Carolina United for Change, located right here in Vance County, is calling on fellow residents to drop off care packages that will be delivered to local homeless shelters.

Joseph Brodie and other volunteers will be outside Perry Memorial Library from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to accept monetary donations as well as much-needed items such as cleaning supplies, hygiene items and toiletries.

“We’re trying to keep our focus on the homeless shelters,” Brodie said on Thursday’s TownTalk, “to provide them with the articles they need.”

In addition to Hope House, ARC House for Men and Lifeline Ministries, Brodie said Gang Free had recently opened up additional spaces for folks experiencing homelessness in the community.

As with any household, Brodie said the shelters can use dish soap, disinfectants and other cleaning products. And they always need toilet paper, he added.

“Last year was a huge success,” Brodie said. Numerous churches helped by pulling in with donations during the drop-off event.

The Carolina United for Change mission statement is inspired by King’s philosophy to lend a supporting hand to help the poor and needy and to protect the rights of all people.

“It all starts in the communities,” Brodie said, “to have a better place for young people to grow up in.”

Contact Brodie at 252.762.3364 to learn more.

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TownTalk: Coker Takes Over As Chief Of Animal Services

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The vast majority of pet owners do the right thing and provide everything their animals need to live healthy, happy lives as furry members of the family.

And while Vance County’s new Animal Services Chief William Coker acknowledges this to be the case, he said that for those pet owners who don’t, there are county ordinances in place to protect animals.

“I think the biggest thing is educating the community on proper animal welfare and the county ordinances” in place to protect animals from maltreatment.

Once a dog is placed in a pen or put on a chain in the yard, it instantly becomes totally dependent on people for food, water and shelter. And it’s up to Coker and his officers to make sure all the animals in the county are afforded the minimum standards.

He said he chooses to de-escalate situations that may involve improper pet treatment, but he’s not afraid to fall back on county ordinances. Dogs must have a dog house, for example, and access to fresh water and they must be fed once a day – those are the minimum standards in place for the county’s canines.

After animal services officers give pet owners a couple of warnings and still fail to comply, the officers can issue citations.

Educating the community can come in many forms, Coker said on Wednesday’s TownTalk: he said he’d like to get into the schools and talk to young people about proper animal care. He also said he wants to emphasize getting dogs and cats spayed and neutered to reduce the unwanted pet population.

When his officers go out on a call, he asks that they promote the spay/neuter program, which often can be at a reduced cost for those that qualify.

Coker said he’s always had a passion for animals, and when he learned of an opening at animal services, he applied and was hired on in 2013. He worked with former chief Frankie Nobles for five years, and he said he learned a lot from his time working alongside Nobles.

He and Nobles stay in close contact and Coker said it’s reassuring to know that Nobles, now the county’s Special Projects Coordinator, is just a phone call away.

“I don’t like seeing animals mistreated,” Coker said. Just the other day, he came to work and found a dog tied outside the office door. As much as he hates for that to happen, he said the alternative – just turning the dog loose – wasn’t a good option either.

“As long as I’m chief of animal services, I’ll never turn away a surrender.”

Learn more about Vance County Animal Services at https://www.vancecounty.org/departments/animal-control/

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Granville Vance Public Health Logo

TownTalk: Healthy Moms And Healthy Babies

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Have you heard of something called “centering pregnancy?” It’s a practice that’s been around since the 1990’s, and it is a way for expectant mothers to have support from health care professionals and other pregnant moms as they prepare for the moment that they deliver their newborn.

Granville Vance Public Health offers Centering Pregnancy through its clinics and GVPH Director Lisa Harrison said it’s something that’s been blazing trails across rural areas in the U.S. when it comes to maternal health.

“You have to be accredited as an agency to provide centering pregnancy,” Harrison said on Tuesday’s TownTalk. It’s designed for women with low- to moderate-risk pregnancies and it can help reduce the risk of health issues like high blood pressure and gestational diabetes, among other things.

“It’s exciting work,” she said, to provide an environment where women can learn and come together in a group setting. Women who participate in the program get one-on-one time with health care professionals, but they also join in small-group sessions where they can ask questions and learn from each other.

“It empowers women to be actively involved in their own health care decision-making,” she noted.

The Centering pregnancy program does not take the place of prenatal care that women receive elsewhere, and Harrison said it’s designed to complement the care that women receive from their own providers.

Given the health disparities that exist, especially among underserved populations, Harrison said this program offered by the health department is just one intervention to address maternal and infant mortality.

“It’s a way to set mom and baby up for the best outcomes,” she said.

In addition to the small group sessions during pregnancy, GVPH nurses also make home visits once mom and her newborn are home from the hospital. This service offers support to make sure mom and baby have the resources they need, and can connect them to additional resources to help them survive and thrive.

Harrison is no stranger to identifying best practices to support maternal and infant health. In fact, she and a colleague have recently written a chapter on this very topic for a book titled The Practical Playbook III. The first edition was published in 2019, and since then, it has become widely used among public health professionals.

When it comes to improving outcomes for maternal and infant health, it’s important for communities and providers to know what it takes – the policies and practices put in place – to support maternal health, she explained.

Community collaboration is “a critical piece of the safety net,” Harrison said.

To learn more, visit https://www.gvph.org/clinic/maternal-health-clinic/.

 

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TownTalk: Rise Against Hunger Pack-A-Thon Set For Monday, Jan. 15; Volunteers Needed

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Volunteers from area churches and other organizations are joining forces on the upcoming Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to pack food that will be used to feed hungry people across the world.

Sandra Wiggins is one of the event organizers and she said that over the course of four hours or so on Monday, Jan. 15, she expects to be able to pack 60,000 meals for Rise Against Hunger.

“We did 30,000 in about three or four hours last year,” Wiggins said on Monday’s TownTalk. “We know we can definitely hit this mark this year – we’re just really excited to do this…on Martin Luther King Day,” she said.

The Rise Against Hunger pack-a-thon will take place at the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Wiggins represents The First Baptist Church of Henderson, but she said numerous churches and school groups from Henderson and Oxford are signed up to participate as well.

So far, the following groups are participating: First Baptist Church, First United Methodist Church, Henderson, South Henderson Pentecostal Holiness Church, Oxford Preparatory School, Flat Rock United Methodist Church, Fuller Chapel, Davis Chapel, South Henderson Church of God, Clearview Church and Cornerstone Christian Community Church. Wiggins said Vance Charter School and Oxford United Methodist Church plans to send volunteers as well.

“This is really a community event,” Wiggins said. About 100 people have signed up so far, and there’s still time to register – they need several hundred volunteers to sign up to work a two-hour shift. The first shift is from 10 a.m. to 12 noon and the second shift is from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Participants should report to the civic center and sign in, and from there, they’ll head to a packing station where they will help measure out individual bags of rice, seasonings and vitamins.

Most of the food packs will be transported overseas, but Wiggins said some are kept here in the U.S. for use when disaster strikes.

Register or give online at events.riseagainsthunger.org/VGMLK24. There’s a $25,000 fundraising goal that goes along with the pack-a-thon. Wiggins said $45 provides 100 meals.

But the event is about more than packing nutritional food and sending it to impoverished areas across the world.

Wiggins said next week’s event also shines a light on two local organizations that work to fight hunger right here in Vance and Granville counties.

She invites all participants to the Rise Against Hunger event to bring canned goods or other non-perishable items to be delivered to ACTS and ACIM, the food bank in Oxford.

Wiggins shared one of her favorite quotes attributed to King, the slain Civil rights leader whose work is honored and remembered on Jan. 15.

“Love has to be put into action and that action is service,” Wiggins said, adding that “when we have the ability to do, we should.”

Democratic Party

TownTalk: NC Gubernatorial Candidate Josh Stein Coming To Henderson Jan. 9

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UPDATE 1-9-24:

N.C. gubernatorial candidate Josh Stein’s scheduled visit to Henderson this afternoon has been postponed because of the threat of severe weather forecast for later today.

Vance County Democratic Chairperson Angela Thornton told WIZS News earlier Tuesday.

“We look forward to coordinating with his campaign for a rescheduled date,” Thornton said in a written statement to WIZS.

Stein is the current state attorney general.

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ORIGINAL POST:

Blue may be the dominant color at next week’s meet and greet for one of the Democratic candidates for governor, but local party officials invite the entire community to Perry Memorial Library on Tuesday, Jan. 9 – no matter their party preference.

Joseph Brodie, first vice president of the Vance County Democratic Party, said Thursday that current N.C. Attorney General and gubernatorial hopeful Josh Stein will be in Henderson to meet voters and discuss the upcoming elections.

“All the public is invited to come down if they want to hear what Attorney General Josh Stein is going to be putting on the table,” Brodie said on Thursday’s TownTalk. “They can hear it for themselves.”

The doors open at 5 p.m. and the event begins at 5:30 p.m. Brodie said this visit does not constitute an endorsement by local party leaders. “We have the door open for all our Democratic candidates to come down and introduce themselves to the voters of Vance County,” he explained.

With the March primary elections fast approaching, Brodie said he is pleased with the progress that is being made within the local Democratic Party.

“I feel real good,” he said. “The Vance County Democratic Party has come a long way…people are in place, working together for one common cause – to elect Democrats, not only in Vance County, but in surrounding areas.”

Brodie said the focus now is in organizing the local precincts so that voters can get important information concerning candidates and races.

“We’re always striving for excellence,” Brodie noted, adding that more work needs to be done.

 

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TownTalk: 2024 Election Information

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We’re three days into the New Year, which means that early voting for the March 5 primary elections is a mere 43 days away. Vance County voters will have two locations to cast their votes early, but neither of them is the Henderson Operations Center.

Early voters will go to either Aycock Rec Center, 307 Carey Chapel Rd. or the Eaton Johnson gymnasium, located at 500 N. Beckford Dr., according to information from Vance County elections officials.

“The decision for two early voting sites was made by the Board to increase accessibility considering this is a Presidential election year,” said Vance County Board of Elections Director Jennifer Cocklin, whenthere usually is a higher voter turnout.

Early voting begins on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, and continues through Saturday, Mar. 2, 2024, according to a notice issued by Vance County Board of Elections Chair James R. Baines.

In an email to WIZS News on Wednesday, City Manager Terrell Blackmon said the city reached an agreement with county officials to move the early voting site away from the city’s operations center for a simple, practical reason: “The City has run out of file and storage space in other parts of the building and we desperately need to utilize all available space in our facility for engineering and public works,” Blackmon said.

“There is no dissatisfaction by the City. We just need the space,” he added.

Blackmon went on to say that there is plenty of parking at the Eaton Johnson gymnasium to accommodate voters who come early to cast their ballots in the Mar. 5 primary.

The notices from the Board of Elections remind voters that they will be asked to show a photo ID when they come in to cast their ballot. If for some reason they don’t have one with them, they can still have their vote counted if they sign a form explaining why they are unable to show ID, or by casting a provisional ballot and returning to the Board of Elections office with their ID no later than 5 p.m. on Mar. 14, 2024.

Voters also can request a free photo ID from their local Board of Elections office. Find out more at https://www.ncsbe.gov/voting/voter-id

Below are the dates and times for early voting at both locations:

 

Thursday, Feb. 15 – 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 16 – 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 19 – Friday, Feb. 23 – 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 26-Friday, Mar. 1 – 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, 02-March 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

 

Absentee ballots will be mailed to voters who have requested them beginning Jan. 19, 2024. Absentee ballots must be received by the county board of elections no later than 7:30 p.m. on March 5, 2024. A voter can fill out an absentee ballot request at https://votebymail.ncsbe.gov/app/home, or by filling out a request form provided by the county Board of Elections office. The request must be received through the website or by the Vance County Board of Elections by 5 p.m. Feb. 27, 2024.

The voter registration deadline for this election is 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 9, 2024. Eligible individuals who are not registered by that deadline may register and vote at any early voting site during the early voting period. New registrants will be required to provide current documentation of their residence (for example, a government ID, other government document, or a paycheck, bank statement, or utility bill). Voters who wish to change party affiliation must do so by the Feb. 9 deadline.

In the primary election, voters will select nominees for a political party to move on to the general election on Nov. 5. Contests on the ballot include U.S. President, U.S. House, N.C. Governor and other Council of State Offices, N.C. Supreme Court Associate Justice, N.C. Court of Appeals, N.C. House and Senate and county offices. In the primary, voters affiliated with a political party will be given a ballot of candidates for their party, if their party has a primary. Unaffiliated voters may choose to vote in any party’s primary, but they may select only one party’s ballot.

To learn more, call the Vance County Board of Elections Office at 252.492.3730 or send an email to vance.boe@vancecounty.org.

 

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TownTalk: Scammers Active In Vance County

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Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame urges the public to be savvy when it comes to answering phone calls from someone claiming to be a representative of his office.

These calls are scams and the best advice he can give anyone who answers such calls is simple: Hang up.

Brame told WIZS News Tuesday that his office has gotten reports about two different scams involving a person’s failure to appear in court or failure to appear for jury duty.

Be assured that anyone who fails to appear in court for any reason, Brame said, would not get a phone call, which usually ends up with the call recipient being told to make some kind of  payment to a third party. Don’t fall for it! Brame said he was informed on New Year’s Day that someone had gotten one of these phone calls. These scammers call random numbers, and often the number that pops up on Caller ID appears to be a local number.

This particular call recipient, however, is a friend of Brame and “the person knew my name and voice” and was not fooled by the call.

The simplest thing to do is ignore the call. If it’s a legitimate call from a legitimate number, the caller will leave a voicemail and you can retrieve the information.

Once again, nobody from the clerk of court’s office is going to make a phone call to an individual who, for whatever reason, has failed to appear in court for jury duty.

That’s not how the process works.

Whether you’re a defendant facing charges or someone who may be asked to serve on a jury, the process is simple: show up in court at the right time or a sheriff’s deputy will show up on your doorstep – with a summons to appear.

 

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