TownTalk: Midterm Elections Are 370 Days Away
Midterm Elections are now just over a year away and the idea of conformity vs. non-conformity will possibly be what could define the election season.
TownTalk: Supt. Bennett Proud To Serve Vance County Schools
Dr. Cindy Bennett has been superintendent of Vance County Schools since July 1. In these past few months, she and her team have continued to navigate the rough waters of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent tragedies affecting VCS students and families have offered challenges as well, and Bennett said her team is pitching in to provide support for students and staff.
“I firmly believe in servant leadership,” Bennett said on Tuesday’s Town Talk with John C. Rose. “It’s all hands on deck and that’s the way we operate,” she added. It’s the way she and her administrative team – her Cabinet, as she calls the central services staff – deals with issues and problems, as well as in times of great success.
Last week’s tragic car accident that took the lives of two teenage siblings on their way to Vance County High School also injured two students and their mother who were on their way to Aycock Elementary.
Upon hearing the news of the accident, Bennett said a team of guidance counselors and social workers were dispatched immediately to the high school. The leadership team went as well, to offer support to their colleagues at the high school, as well as to students.
The students were well-loved, she noted. “It’s been a tremendous loss.”
She added that she hopes and prays for a speedy recovery for the two Aycock students.
Feeling part of a team is an important component of Bennett’s attitude of leadership. She said she and former superintendent Dr. Anthony Jackson had a very good working relationship before they found themselves working in the same school district. Jackson arrived about six months before Bennett, who has now in her 7th year with VCS.
In fact, she said, they both applied for the VCS superintendent job that Jackson ultimately won. “I had a desire to be a superintendent,” Bennett said, whether in this district or elsewhere.
Vance County has been “home” now for the past 13 years, and Bennett said she is very grateful to have a chance to give back to her community.
In her first six years or so with VCS, she said she has observed a real focus on innovative practices. “I think there is a very strong mindset of innovation and a desire to provide the best possible opportunities and experiences for our students,” Bennett said. “That is something I want to continue.”
Opportunities sometimes arise from challenges, and she said the COVID-19 pandemic certainly has proven to be a challenge for everyone. And educators are no exception. She said she hopes to be able to continue to offer school staffs and families social emotional support as the district and the community face a “new normal or our next normal, whatever that might be.”
The district will continue to focus on what is best and what is right for students, she said. “I think one of my areas of focus will be providing authentic experiences for students” so that whether they decide to further their education after high school or stay at home to join the work force, they will have had great opportunities and experiences with VCS.
Focusing on this aspect surely will have a positive effect on graduation rates and staff retention, she noted.
“Ultimately, our one responsibility is to the students in this community to recognize where the gaps in learning might be, to recognize where there are places and experiences that we can provide for them,” Bennett said.
Understanding the needs of the community while tapping the expertise of educators is key to providing a quality education.
The Center for Innovation is one such facility that Bennett looks to for creative ways to teach students. “I don’t want this to be a facility that is planned from the top down,” she said. “We want to be good neighbors and good partners, she added.
“We want to be seen as an organization providing experiences to our community but also providing support to our community,”
Bennett said.
“it’s all about relationships – those that trickle down and those that bubble up in the organization. We want to be seen as an organization that values its community…sees the value, power and worth of every single student that comes through our doors. (We want to) take them from where they are and grow them as much as we possibly can…That’s what we are here for.”
A couple of things that nag at the superintendent are staff shortages and bus driver shortages.
She said she’s trying to get a pay increase for bus drivers and there’s a $2,500 signing bonus to entice prospective drivers. “They are essential to everything we do,” she emphasized.
Making sure that parents feel reassured about safety protocols in schools is uppermost in her mind as well. The district follows a layered protection approach to achieve the COVID-19 safety protocols – masks, daily temperature checks and school nurses diligently monitoring the health of everyone inside school buildings – all serve to keep the school environment safe.
She commended parents, staff and students for working together in this effort and encourages anyone in the community to ask if something is unclear. “We do not mind answering their questions,” she said. “We understand how important it is to know that our children are safe.”
For Bennett and her leadership style, it’s all about focusing on relationships and on transparency.
“It’s all about servant leadership – that’s what we’re practicing,” she said.
TownTalk: Vance Co. Students Remembered After Fatal Car Crash
Brother and Sister Killed in Car Wreck Friday Morning on the Way to Vance County High School
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol said it was a head on collision which is still under investigation. Two juveniles were killed on the way to VCHS. The three occupants of the other vehicle, including a mother and two children, were also on the way to school. The mother and two children were all transported to Duke. The accident happened on Rock Mill Road, just south of the intersection with Vicksboro Road. Speed was not a factor in the crash, an NC SHP spokesperson said Sunday evening by phone.
Vance County Schools issued a statement. “At this time, we can confirm we lost two students from Vance County High School on Friday, October 29. We are deeply saddened by the tragedy that has impacted the family and our school community. We are committed to serving the needs of the students and employees in the days and weeks to come. Additional counselors and support staff were on campus to work with students and employees (Friday) and will continue to be made available as long as they are needed. Today, we are all Viper Strong.”
Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Joe Sharrow said, speaking of the young woman who died, “She was on our softball team. (The young man) was a freshman and I hadn’t had a chance to get to know him yet. She was an amazing student and really good kid, good softball player. It’s definitely a tough one. One of the best academic performers we had in the school. She was a junior.”
Community member and family friend Hope Hoyle Howard said, “I knew them well. Two very smart kids who were a pleasure to be around. Asia loved to cut up and KT was shy. Both very athletic and bright. I’m very thankful the family has a strong Christian faith and large support system. I taught them at Aycock and my daughters have played ball with Asia for several years. My kids are same age as them. Terrible tragedy.”
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TownTalk: Michael LaChiana Investigates Things That Go Bump In The Night
Michael LaChiana knows that old homes can create strange noises – some can be attributed to creaky floors, faulty plumbing pipes or other quirky construction features. And he can tell the difference between a plumbing problem…and the paranormal.
LaChiana has been a licensed plumber for 36 years, but he’s been fascinated with ghosts and paranormal activity for more than 40 years. As the managing director of the Heritage Hunters Society, he is producing a television program called Heritage Hunters: Journey Through The Past.
He is a ghost hunter and he captures sounds during investigations of the paranormal with high-tech equipment.
But he started out as a 14-year-old with a reel-to-reel recorder. He set up the equipment to record, and he said that he was able to capture the voice of a man screaming for mercy. There was no chance the recording picked up any outside interference, LaChiana said. After that, he was hooked.
“From there, I started researching, reading every book I could,” he told Bill Harris on Thursday’s Town Talk. He upgraded long ago to digital recorders and said he has captured much evidence of paranormal activity across North Carolina and in other countries. “I’ve traveled the world…there are so many haunted locations and I’ve captured so many things,” he said.
He’s visited sites in North Carolina like the Devil’s Tramping Grounds, the USS North Carolina battleship in Wilmington and the Country Squire Inn in Duplin County.
LaChiana is a one-man production crew – he is responsible for everything from the investigating and interviewing of local experts to the editing and final production. View the show on Amazon Prime Video. Available now is the episode on the Country Squire Inn. The next episode may be out by Christmas and will feature the Wilkesboro Jail and the true story of Tom Dooley.
He particularly enjoyed working in London, which he said is “very haunted.” Edinburgh, Scotland, is “one of the most haunted cities,” he said, which places it squarely on his bucket list of places to visit in the future.
He doesn’t do much in the way of residential investigations any more – he’s just too busy with the production company, his business and his family – but he said he has helped so many people understand the strange, unexplained activities they experience.
He goes in for a few hours alone to set up recording equipment and then just wait. “If there’s something there, there’s a very good chance we can capture it,” he added. Not literally, but digitally record it.
“I do believe that every old house has some form of former resident,” LaChiana said. He is friendly and respectful during his investigations, and he said that pays off.
“Everything isn’t dark and creepy.”
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TownTalk: Granville Tourism Heats Up With Fall Events
Anyone who lives in or near Granville County has plenty of opportunities to celebrate Halloween this year, and Tourism Director Angela Allen couldn’t be happier to run down the list of activities – from trick-or-treat events to art galleries and costume contests, folks can stay busy all weekend long.
“What a difference a year makes,” Allen said. Last year at this time, COVID-19 restrictions had things running at a bare minimum or non-existent, she recalled during Wednesday’s Town Talk with John C. Rose and Bill Harris.
And although the weather seems to be cooling off, “things are really heating up in Granville County, as far as events go,” she said. Everybody seems ready to celebrate a holiday again, and Granville is offering numerous and varied activities for the whole family.
For starters, tonight (Thursday) is pizza night at Thorndale Oaks. There’s a whole buffet, she said. Call 919.603.3701 for more information. There are pasta and dessert stations, and lots of yummy pizza options cooked in a wood-fired pizza oven. The price is $18.95 per adult; and $9.95 per child.
Here’s a list of some of the events taking place:
- Friday, Oct 29 – Spooktacular Candy Stroll in downtown Oxford from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in downtown Creedmoor – come in costumes and collect candy from area merchants.
- Saturday, Oct. 30 – The Orpheum in downtown Oxford will host a Halloween costume dance and contest. From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., the event will be geared to families; from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., it’s adults only. Judges will select winners of the costume contest for cash prizes, Allen said. Tickets are $5 per person and $15 per family.
- Friday-Sunday – Oct. 29-31 – Granville Haunt Farm on Hwy. 15 South opens at sunset. This drive-through event recreates scenes from some of the great scary movies and horror films. It’s set up like a giant drive-in movie, Allen said to think of the haunt farm as appropriate for anyone who would watch a PG-13 film. Check Granville Haunt Farm’s Facebook page and Instagram for details about ticket prices and times and “to get an idea of what you’ll feel and experience,” she added. taste of what awaits.
- Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 30-31 – last chance to pick a pumpkin at William Lyon’s farm outside Creedmoor. The pumpkin patch is open each day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. There’s also a corn maze and hay rides to participate in, making it a really good daytime outing for families.
- Saturday, Oct. 30 – the local farmers’ market is open from 7 a.m. to noon near downtown Oxford and has seasonal produce and other handicrafts for sale.
- Daily through Nov. 7 – Cedar Creek Gallery near Creedmoor has its own pumpkin patch, but this patch is full of the glass variety by local and regional artists.
Following on the heels of Halloween is Veterans’ Day and Allen said the Oxford Veterans’ Parad is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 3 at 3 p.m. This is a time to celebrate and honor area veterans, and to thank them for their service, Allen said.
Any veteran who wishes to participate in the parade can contact Rebekah Olivares, city event coordinator at 603.1101.
The Town of Butner also will honor veterans at Soldiers Memorial Sports Arena at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 11.
For a complete listing of other events in November across Granville County, search visitgranvillenc.com, find visitgranvillecounty on Facebook or Instagram.
(Granville Tourism is an advertising client of WIZS. This is not a paid ad.)
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TownTalk: Pink With A Passion Helps Victims Of Breast Cancer
What started out as a simple act of neighbor helping neighbor has had a ripple effect to spread kindness – and donations of money and care boxes – to cancer patients.
Pink With A Passion is the grassroots brainchild of Amena Wilson, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018. When she reached out to her neighbor Carlotta Woodard to help with an event, Woodard went from kindly neighbor to hard-working volunteer for Pink With A Passion.
Woodard officially becomes a cancer survivor on Sunday, when she celebrates her 10-year anniversary of being cancer-free.
The group serves the four-county area and recently donated $2,000 to Maria Parham Health’s Cancer Center in observance of breast cancer awareness month. The money is available for any particular needs a patient may have, whether it’s transportation, helping make a copay or other medical costs. The women spoke with John C. Rose on Tuesday’s Town Talk.
In addition to the cash donations, they take care boxes to be distributed to patients, either at the hospital’s cancer center or to other individuals they may know about who are dealing with cancer.
The COVID-19 pandemic has hindered somewhat their ability to get out in the community to raise awareness and money. Not to be deterred, a raffle fundraiser that ran from March 1 to May 1 netted close to $13,000.
Raising money and redistributing it to people in need is what Pink With A Passion is all about.
The pink, of course, is the color associated worldwide with breast cancer, Wilson said. The “passion” part of their name is a nod to what fuels the group’s desire to help.
“We find people we know who are dealing with cancer,” Wilson said. “We reach out and give to them – whatever we can do to help. We give to others.”
Wilson said the idea for the group was born from her own efforts to help defray the expenses associated with her own diagnosis. She organized a fish plate fundraiser and said it was so successful she decided to keep it going.
“I was so overwhelmed,” she said of the support she got from the community. “There was so much love, passion and support show, I decided to do it for other people.”
And the simple act of asking a neighbor to join her effort has paid dividends. Woodard said she was eager to be a part of a support system for others through Pink With A Passion, mainly because of its vision for helping others.
Woodard knew all too well the importance of having a support system; she said she was blessed to have a strong support system as she faced her diagnosis head on. An annual mammogram detected her Stage 1 cancer and because it was caught early, a mastectomy and a chemo pill therapy was her treatment.
“I didn’t have a lump,” Woodard said, who added she has a family history of breast cancer. “If it weren’t for a mammogram, I wouldn’t even know I had cancer.”
She said she is sporting pink hair for the month of October, in said she is so excited to celebrate her 10-year anniversary of being cancer-free.
Wilson said she thanks God for allowing her to find a lump in her breast – it was detected at an early stage as well. Early detection is THE key for beating breast cancer, both women said. But going through treatments with a positive mindset, as little stress as possible, exercise and a healthy diet all contribute to a patient’s restored health.
In addition to caring for your physical well-being while undergoing treatment, Wilson said it is critical to have someone accompany you to doctor’s appointments. Taking notes and having a second set of ears to hear what a physician is discussing about your case is so important. “Knowledge is so important when you’re going through cancer,” Wilson said.
To learn more, find the group on Facebook, contact the organization via email at Pinkwithapassion_7@yahoo.com or Wilson at 252. 213. 5735.
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TownTalk: Peripheral Artery Disease
People who suffer from peripheral artery disease can experience a range of symptoms, but a physician who specializes in treating patients with PAD said advances in care can shorten recovery time and improve quality of life.
Mohammad Akhter, MD, is an interventional cardiologist and vascular specialist affiliated with Duke Hospital. He has been with Maria Parham Health since the summer and talked with John C. Rose on Tuesday’s Town Talk about some of the causes and symptoms of PAD, as well as some of the things that specialists in his field can do to help patients feel better.
PAD is a condition that happens when plaque builds up in your arteries which restricts blood flow to extremities. In the early stages of PAD, a person may not experience any symptoms, but that changes as the disease progresses unchecked.
It primarily affects the lower legs, Akhter explained. “As the disease progresses, (patients experience) painful cramping in one or both hips or calves, leg numbness or weakness, or coldness in the lower leg or foot.”
People with severe PAD may have open sores or ulcers on their legs or feet that won’t heal because of the restricted circulation.
Until relatively recently, treatment of PAD almost certainly involved surgery. Advances in care such as the care that Akhter provides can include catheterization and placement of balloons and stents to open the arteries.
Patients hear that they have a blockage in their extremities and they think that surgery is the only treatment option. Those with mild or moderate disease, he noted, can get relief through less-invasive catheter techniques, which is Akhter’s specialty. Often, patients can go home that day or the next morning, he said, and face a much shorter recuperation period.
“Seek treatment sooner rather than later,” he advised.
Screening for PAD can be as simple as having a primary care provider take a detailed history, conduct a physical exam and check for pulses in arms and legs. And the use of a Doppler probe can help find pulses that aren’t easily detected, he added.
Medical treatment is part of the care plan, but simply increasing your level of activity through rehabilitation or exercise can also help. The body, Akhter said, will try to adapt to how much you ask of it. “Patients can actually lessen symptoms in weeks or months (after) introducing activity into their lives,” he said. Exercise for 20 to 30 minutes two or three times a week is an “excellent way to treat symptoms of PAD,” Akhter added.
Risk factors like smoking, diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure all contribute to a person’s overall health, so bringing blood sugars and cholesterol down will help as well. “Behavioral changes significantly reduce the progression of the disease.”
Once the disease is advanced, preventative care is less effective, so patients could wind up needing more invasive treatment, including surgery, to address the disease and its effects on the body. Maria Parham offers a full spectrum of diagnostics and therapeutics including arterial ultrasound and a dedicated wound care center.
Akhter moved to Durham in 2018 after beginning his specialized work at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York and then practicing as a board-certified interventional cardiologist and vascular specialist for about 10 years at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Boston.
He completed medical school in his native Pakistan and completed his residency and a fellowship at University of Southern California.
He made his way to Durham to complete a master’s degree in global health, but COVID-19 derailed his plans, for the time being.
“It has been gratifying practicing my skill set here in North Carolina,” he said, adding that although he has been amazed to see disadvantaged populations debilitated by PAD, he also remains hopeful because he can utilize his specialized treatments to improve medical conditions.
He praised his cath lab coworkers at Maria Parham Health for being advocates for patient care and for making his work easier.
“I don’t know what this community would do,” Akhter said, without a hospital that he called a “lifeline” for the area.
Although there’s no cure for PAD, there are treatments and care plans that can help.
Call 800.424.DOCS to find a specialist and schedule an appointment.
(Maria Parham Health is an advertising client of WIZS. This is not a paid ad.)
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TownTalk: State Fair And Other Weekend Events
Discussion about weekend events, including the NC State Fair, the Military History Show and Relay For Life.
TownTalk: Ruin Creek Animal Protection Society Pays Tribute To Ricky Overby
Most Friday evenings for almost a decade, Ricky Overby would climb into the Ruin Creek Animal Protection Society van, put it in Drive and head out of town on a freedom ride. The thousands of dogs and cats that left Vance County for rescue and adoption groups up and down the East Coast owe their lives – literally – to Captain Ricky.
Overby died Tuesday after a short battle with cancer. But Brandon Boyd, RCAPS President, holds Overby up as an example as someone who selflessly gave of his time to further the RCAPS mission of saving animals.
Overby started out as a driver, Boyd told John C. Rose on Thursday’s Town Talk, but as the single van grew to a fleet of vans, Captain Ricky took on more responsibilities with RCAPS.
Boyd remembered his employee – and friend – as loyal and dependable. “He took pride in his work, in his job,” he said. “And he loved saving animals.”
He’d take off usually by 9 p.m. on Fridays, with dozens and dozens of dogs and cats loaded in the van. He’d make numerous stops along his way up the East Coast, his destination sometimes as far North as Albany, New York.
Sometimes, Boyd said, when he found himself awake in the wee hours of a Saturday morning, “I’d call the Captain.” The calls sometimes lasted five minutes; others lasted upwards of an hour, Boyd recalled.
His reputation for a loving, caring person grew as his transports continued – Boyd said it’s difficult to grasp just how widespread that reputation reached.
James Jackson, another local volunteer, stepped in when Capt. Ricky got sick. And Friday night, when Jackson settles in behind the wheel of the van loaded with 50 or 60 dogs and cats headed for New York, he and the other RCAPS volunteers will continue Capt. Ricky’s mission of doing God’s work of caring for animals.
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TownTalk: Randy Owen Looks To The Future After Retirement
When Randy Owen says he’s not one to sit around and do nothing, he really means it. Although he is enjoying a short time off at the moment, Owen said he will be officially retired from Vance -Granville Community College on November 1. That also happens to be his first day at his new job as a paramedic at Rex Health Care’s catheterization lab.
Owen spoke with John C. Rose on Town Talk Wednesday, and he said the afternoon’s activities involved playing a little golf. When November rolls around in a couple of weeks, however, he will be working 12-hour shifts several days each week, which he said he looks forward to.
His first career began when he joined the Henderson Fire Department back in 1990. What began as a job as a firefighter and EMT morphed into becoming first a part-time instructor at VGCC and then a full-time instructor and coordinator of fire and rescue training.
“I fell in love with the instruction part of it,” Owen said. He got a certificate to teach CPR and then got his EMS certification. He credits Ranger Wilkerson, Danny Wilkerson and Curtis Tyndall with getting his career off on solid footing.
His second career will be challenging, but it’s a challenge he said he looks forward to. “I love a challenge,” he exclaimed. “I’m really, really looking forward to doing some patient care.”
Whether it’s caring for patients, co-workers, family or his community, Owen does so with a smile and great enthusiasm.
He said he is grateful for the support that he and his family have received in the past few years since his daughter Reagan’s diagnosis with acute myeloid leukemia. There have been fundraisers and many other expressions of support as medical bills continued to mount.
“It was very, very stressful,” he recalled, when Rae Rae spent eight long months at Duke for treatment. Community support “touched us in such a special way,” he said. Right now, she’s doing well, although she faces a pulmonic valve replacement in the future. “She should be put in line pretty soon,” he said.
In his new job, he’ll work fewer days, but longer shifts, and the schedule is more flexible. This is another aspect of the job that appeals to Owen because that means he can donate his time to help with other organizations.
Amanda Riggan, founder of Hungry Heroes, called him recently and asked whether he could help with an upcoming event in the area. “I just jumped on board and said, ‘most definitely!’”
“It’s amazing what she does for our public safety people,” he said of Riggan and the organization that provides meals and stocks kitchens for first responders like firefighters and rescue personnel.
Offering food to those who serve in their community is a little “give back,” he said. “One little thing we can do is feed them.”
In his role as coordinator for the fire and rescue training program at VGCC, Owen saw to it that the 50-plus agencies in the four counties that VGCC serves had the appropriate training classes.
One program that he remembers well involved helping first responders deal with stress.
The idea was to debrief after a traumatic event like a fire or a car accident, let folks explain their role and “get it off their chest and grieve about it.”
It’s important for supervisors and chiefs to monitor their team for signs of stress and get on top of it quickly, he said. “Stress is a big part of this job – It takes a special person to do it.”
Owen should know.
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