Cooperative Extension With Paul McKenzie: What Works in the Garden

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Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

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TownTalk: Blessed Hope Celebrates 40 Years

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Forty years ago, the space shuttle Discovery had its first launch, Apple had introduced a new-fangled computer called the Macintosh, and the Rev. Donald A. Perkinson held the first official meeting of Blessed Hope Baptist Church.

Fast-forward 40 years and now private companies are blasting tourists into space and a cell phone that fits conveniently in a pocket is vastly more powerful than that clunky desktop computer. My, how some things change.

That initial gathering of 10 people in the living room of Perkinson’s cousin’s living room has blossomed into a vibrant congregation located on Dabney Road.

They celebrated Founder’s Day on Sunday at Blessed Hope, and in his message to the congregation and friends gathered, Perkinson said he continues to do all to the glory of God. “I give him all the glory and honor,” he said.

Those references to current events of 1984 were made by Clem Seifert, who also happens to be Perkinson’s son-in-law. Seifert spoke during the Sunday service and said some things in our lives are meant to change, but some things remain the same.

The people in the pews may change over the years, but “the Word of God never changes,” he said, adding that Perkinson and the people of Blessed Hope continue to do the work just as Paul instructed in his letter to Timothy.

Perkinson said he accompanied his father to a rest home to minister to its residents, and he believes it was then that he got that first nudge from God. Later, when he was teaching a Sunday School class for young married couples that he learned about expository preaching.

He moved his young family to Texas while he studied to be a preacher and came back home to Henderson in 1983, but he just couldn’t find the right church fit.

That’s when he felt he heard God say to him, “Why don’t you do what I’ve called you to do?” Perkinson recalled.

That was Feb. 5, 1984 – the day that would become Founder’s Day for Blessed Hope. That very morning, Perkinson held the first service in his cousin’s living room. Forty years later, some things have changed, but the message remains the same.

Listen to more of Perkinson’s and Seifert’s remarks at www.wizs.com and tune in to WIZS on Sundays at 5 p.m. 

 

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VGCC President Rachel Desmarais Among TBJ ‘2024 Women In Business’ Honorees

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Vance-Granville Community College President Dr. Rachel Desmarais was recently recognized by the Triangle Business Journal as a recipient of its 2024 Women in Business Awards.

Desmarais’s inclusion in the 2024 Women in Business Awards underscores her commitment to supporting local communities and economies through a highly skilled workforce, according to a press release from VGCC Public Information Officer Courtney Cissel.

During the 2020-2021 academic year, Desmarais took the Presidents for Entrepreneurship Pledge through the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship, which included specific action steps to advance entrepreneurship and create jobs across the country. The college was so successful in these initiatives that NACCE named it the Entrepreneurial College of the Year in October 2022.

In late 2023, VGCC launched the AdvanceNC partnership. Described as “an innovative workforce development ecosystem developing a robust talent pipeline to support unprecedented economic growth,” the AdvanceNC initiative is made up of 10 community colleges, two state universities and six regional workforce development boards which collaborate to meet the industry needs of major international companies operating in the state.

For nearly three decades, the Women in Business Awards have celebrated women in the Triangle region who are dynamic and outstanding leaders, with established track records of significant accomplishments in business and community service. Triangle Business Journal honored a total of 25 winners this year.

New Warren Program Helps Connect Employers, Job Seekers

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-information courtesy of Crystal Smith, senior assistant to Warren County Manager Vincent Jones

 

Warren County employers and job seekers have a new tool at their fingertips to connect residents with local employment opportunities. Warren County Community and Economic Development has launched an online job board for employment and internship opportunities from Warren County employers. This service is free for both employers and job seekers.

The job board allows employers to register and post openings for jobs and internships in Warren County, according to information from Crystal Smith, senior assistant to Warren County Manager Vincent Jones.

Each posting will direct job seekers directly back to the employer to begin the application process. Warren County Community and Economic Development will continue to advertise the job board as a local and regional resource for job seekers and will also promote it in any larger state and national campaigns the department undergoes.

“One of the top challenges our employers face is recruitment; we hear it over and over again,” said Charla Duncan, director of Warren County Community and Economic Development. “When we drilled down to see how our businesses are currently advertising open positions, we found that a majority of them are advertising in limited networks.”

In a recent departmental poll of local employers, the top three employment advertising methods currently used are: word of mouth (79 percent of businesses polled), unpaid social media posts (68 percent), and placing signage at the place of business (53 percent).

“Businesses are reporting back to us that their funding is limited when it comes to paid advertising for open positions, or that the cost of marketing is too high,” Duncan said. “The Work in Warren job board is a free resource for county-based businesses that aims to give all businesses more digital exposure.”

“A few local employers helped to test the board while in development, and they all reported back that the process was easy and quick,” said Duncan, explaining that the board was designed to be a simple interface to connect employers with job seekers. County staff will follow the success of the job board and check in with employers over time to monitor any ongoing web development needs.

Duncan also stated that her department sees the Work in Warren job board as a recruitment tool for future industries and a future workforce.

“We have not had a comprehensive, streamlined reflection of the employment opportunities in our county,” stated Duncan. “If someone is looking to move to the region, we want to make sure they can envision a professional future for themselves in Warren County.”

Job seekers and employers can visit the Work in Warren job board at www.WorkInWarren.org.

Duncan encourages job seekers to regularly visit the Work in Warren job board just as they would another hiring platform such as Indeed, Monster, or LinkedIn. Job posts will remain active for 30 days before they expire, and employers have the option to extend the opening or remove the post if the position has been filled.

For more information, contact Duncan, Director of Warren County Community & Economic Development, at 252.257.3115. The Work in Warren job board can be found on the Warren County Community and Economic Development website at www.warrencountync.org.

Vance County Sheriff’s Office Serves Suspect in Court

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Press Release:

On February 1, 2024, the Vance County Sheriff’s Office patrol division responded to the Vance County District Court to serve Daniel Claude Raines, 26, of Henderson with outstanding warrants from Vance County Sheriff’s Office.

Mr. Raines was served with one count of breaking and entering, larceny after breaking/enter and obtaining property by false pretense.

Mr. Raines received a $60,000 secured bond and was given a court date of 03/01/2024. Mr. Raines was placed in the Vance County Detention Center.

Outstanding Warrants Served; Additional Charges Obtained

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Press Release:

On Wednesday, January 31, 2024 members of the Vance County Sheriff’s Office narcotics unit served several outstanding felony and misdemeanor warrants for probation violation on Dylan Levi Vaughn, age 28 of Lemay Lane. During the investigation, additional charges for possession of heroin and cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia, and resist, obstruct and delay were subsequently obtained. Vaughn is currently in the Vance County Jail with no bond.

SportsTalk: Former Southern Vance Football Coach Dave Jennings Talks About The Super Bowl

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Dave Jennings is likely a familiar name to those who follow local athletics.  He was head coach at Southern Vance High School for 14 years before moving on to Franklinton High School where he was an offensive line coach and offensive coordinator .  Coach Jennings was a guest on Monday’s SportsTalk and shared his thoughts on the big 49ers vs. Chiefs game this weekend but also talked about his coaching days as well.  “I’m retired now,” Jennings said. While he may no longer prowl the sidelines on Friday night, he is proud of his accomplishments on the field.  “We had a winning record 13 of 14 seasons,” Jennings said.  Jennings also took Southern Vance to the state championship game in 2006 where they lost by three points to Shelby.

Today’s high school game is different with the influx of charter and private schools.  “You have to go with the flow.  You have to take the players you have and just go with it,” Jennings said.

During his time at Southern Vance he had the opportunity to coach Aaron Elliott, the current head coach at Vance High School.  “Coach Elliott is doing a great job,” Jennings said.

As for Sunday’s big game?  “I believe it will be lower scoring than most think,” Jennings said.  He feels that the Chiefs should come away with the victory on Sunday.

 

Mike Waters

The Local Skinny! Waters Announces Life Sentence For Oakes

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– information courtesy of Vance County District Attorney Mike Waters

A Vance County man will spend the rest of his life in prison after a jury found him guilty last week of first-degree murder, according to a press release from the office of District Attorney Mike Waters.

On Thursday, Feb. 1, in Vance County Criminal Superior Court, Jarred Robert Oakes was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, following his conviction of first-degree murder of his mother, Geraldine Oakes.

Oakes is the oldest son of Geraldine Oakes, who was found unresponsive in the family home on Friendly Lane on May 24, 2017. At the time, investigators found evidence that the victim had been strangled. During the trial, the jury heard testimony from law enforcement officers, lay persons and expert witnesses.

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