This week is National Truck Driver Appreciation Week and Vance-Granville Community College joins the nation’s trucking industry in a weeklong celebration of the millions of professional truck drivers who deliver America’s freight safely and securely every day.
Established by the American Trucking Associations in 1988 to recognize the vital contributions of truck drivers to our daily lives and to the economy, the national observance highlights the contributions of the nation’s 3.5 million truck drivers who deliver 70 percent of the country’s total freight to communities large and small.
Vance-Granville Community College has actively supported trucking in its four-county service area since launching a commercial driver’s license program in 2020. Originally offered in collaboration with Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute, VGCC’s program achieved the criteria to run independently late last year. To date, 290 VGCC students have graduated from the nine-week program, many of whom have been hired immediately or gone on to open their own trucking business.
“Kelvin Sharpe, our truck driver training coordinator, says, ‘Give us nine weeks and we’ll change your life,’” said Kyle Burwell, VGCC dean of Business & Industry Solutions. Since 2020, the program has graduated close to 300 individuals
Vance-Granville’s next Truck Driver Training course begins Oct. 21. There’s still time to register, and Burwell said there is a mandatory orientation that will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 24 at the Henderson campus. The session will conclude on Dec. 20.
To view participant requirements and register, please visit www.vgcc.edu/cdl.
Burwell and lead instructor Georgie Bullock were guests on Tuesday’s TownTalk and provided more details about the program.
As with driving any vehicle, Bullock said the top priority to convey to students is safety. Safety and patience.
“Take your time, watch everything moving around you,” Bullock said. “Always be prepared to stop,” he said. Driving on the open road is one thing, but driving a big rig through town can be unnerving at first, Bullock acknowledged.
“They can get kinda nervous driving through town,” he said. But city streets are part of the everyday training routes, as well as the testing route.
“If you can’t drive in town, you don’t need to be a driver,” he said.
Burwell calls the VGCC program “turnkey,” meaning that once the students complete the course, any one of three licensed examiners are on campus to administer the CDL test. The only thing left to do after a student passes the examination is go to the DMV to get their photo taken and get their CDL.
Burwell said she is thankful that the program’s instructors and coordinators stress safety, whether they’re on the driving range or on the road. There is no room for error or distraction when you’ve got 80,000 pounds of truck and cargo behind you.
Bullock tells students, “When you’re on the road, be 100 percent focused on what you’re doing.”
Learn more at www.vgcc.edu/cdl.
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TownTalk: VGCC Truck Driver Program & National Truck Driver Appreciation Week
/by WIZS StaffThis week is National Truck Driver Appreciation Week and Vance-Granville Community College joins the nation’s trucking industry in a weeklong celebration of the millions of professional truck drivers who deliver America’s freight safely and securely every day.
Established by the American Trucking Associations in 1988 to recognize the vital contributions of truck drivers to our daily lives and to the economy, the national observance highlights the contributions of the nation’s 3.5 million truck drivers who deliver 70 percent of the country’s total freight to communities large and small.
Vance-Granville Community College has actively supported trucking in its four-county service area since launching a commercial driver’s license program in 2020. Originally offered in collaboration with Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute, VGCC’s program achieved the criteria to run independently late last year. To date, 290 VGCC students have graduated from the nine-week program, many of whom have been hired immediately or gone on to open their own trucking business.
“Kelvin Sharpe, our truck driver training coordinator, says, ‘Give us nine weeks and we’ll change your life,’” said Kyle Burwell, VGCC dean of Business & Industry Solutions. Since 2020, the program has graduated close to 300 individuals
Vance-Granville’s next Truck Driver Training course begins Oct. 21. There’s still time to register, and Burwell said there is a mandatory orientation that will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 24 at the Henderson campus. The session will conclude on Dec. 20.
To view participant requirements and register, please visit www.vgcc.edu/cdl.
Burwell and lead instructor Georgie Bullock were guests on Tuesday’s TownTalk and provided more details about the program.
As with driving any vehicle, Bullock said the top priority to convey to students is safety. Safety and patience.
“Take your time, watch everything moving around you,” Bullock said. “Always be prepared to stop,” he said. Driving on the open road is one thing, but driving a big rig through town can be unnerving at first, Bullock acknowledged.
“They can get kinda nervous driving through town,” he said. But city streets are part of the everyday training routes, as well as the testing route.
“If you can’t drive in town, you don’t need to be a driver,” he said.
Burwell calls the VGCC program “turnkey,” meaning that once the students complete the course, any one of three licensed examiners are on campus to administer the CDL test. The only thing left to do after a student passes the examination is go to the DMV to get their photo taken and get their CDL.
Burwell said she is thankful that the program’s instructors and coordinators stress safety, whether they’re on the driving range or on the road. There is no room for error or distraction when you’ve got 80,000 pounds of truck and cargo behind you.
Bullock tells students, “When you’re on the road, be 100 percent focused on what you’re doing.”
Learn more at www.vgcc.edu/cdl.
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FLVF Hosts Quarter Auction Friday, Oct. 4
/by WIZS StaffFamilies Living Violence Free is having a Quarter Auction on Friday, Oct. 4 at Carlee Farms in Granville County.
The doors open at 5:30 p.m., dinner begins at 6:15 p.m. and the auction begins at 7 p.m., according to information from FLVF Executive Director Amy Langston.
Tickets are $25 and include dinner and bidding paddle. All proceeds go to direct services for victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Don’t forget to bring your rolls of quarters for bidding and some extra “folding money” to purchase products from vendors that will be on site for the event. For a $50 ticket price, bidders can upgrade their paddles to have unlimited bids on items during the auction. There will be a 50/50 raffle and silent auction held as well.
Carlee Farms is located at 1003 Carlee Farms Rd. in Granville County.
Purchase tickets by calling 919.693.3579.
Langston said businesses, organizations and others can provide extra support by becoming sponsors of the event. The sponsorship levels are Bronze: $50; Silver: $100; and Gold: $200.
Checks, payable to FLVF, can be sent to:
P.O. Box 1632
Oxford, NC 27565
The FLVF Crisis Line operates 24 hours a day. Call 919.693.5700; Spanish speakers can call 919.690.0888.
For more information, contact FLVF at 919.693.3579 or email info@flvf.org.
Cooperative Extension With Michael Ellington: Plants and Nutrients
/by Bill HarrisListen 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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Maria Parham Health Offers Prostate Cancer Screening Sept. 19
/by WIZS Staff– Information courtesy of Maria Parham Health
Maria Parham Health is sponsoring a free prostate cancer screening clinic Thursday, Sept. 19 as part of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.
The American Cancer Society recommends an annual screening for men ages 50 and older. The screening event will be held from 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., according to MPH Public Information Officer Donna Young. No appointment is necessary, just show up. The screening should take about 15 minutes.
African-American men and those with a history of prostate cancer are considered at higher risk, and should consider getting screened at age 45. Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers among men; early detection is crucial and can be lifesaving.
Prostate cancer is highly treatable when detected early, and this screening could make a significant difference for you or a loved one.
For more information, please call 252.436.1656 or visit https://www.MariaParham.com/event/56
Franklin County Extension Hosts Oct. 11 Forestry Mill Tour
/by WIZS StaffJoin the Franklin County Cooperative Extension on a Forestry Mill tour coming up in Louisburg,
Tickets are $15 for the Friday, Oct. 11 halfday event and will include tours of Toney Lumber Co. and Smokehouse Lumber Co./Louisburg Hardwoods.
The tour begins at 8 a.m. at Franklin Plaza, 279 S. Bickett Blvd. and is scheduled to end by 1 p.m.
Register at https://go.ncsu.edu/franklin-forestry-mill-tour. The registration deadline is Monday, Oct. 7 at 5 p.m.
Two vans will provide transportation to the locations. Participants will willable to get 22 hours of Cat 1 CFE credits.
For more information, contact the Franklin County Extension office at 919.496.3344 or Extension Agent Matthew Place at matthew_place@ncsu.edu.
TownTalk: State Treasurer Folwell On Upcoming Open Enrollment And More
/by WIZS StaffThere may be departments, offices and agencies within state government that hog the spotlight and get attention in any number of ways, but few affect the everyday goings-on of residents of North Carolina like the office of the state treasurer.
Treasurer Dale Folwell, closing out his second term as the state’s chief financial officer, wears a variety of hats, from chairing the Local Government Commission and connecting people to “lost” cash, to advocating for the state retirees’ pension and state employees’ health insurance.
This year’s open enrollment period for state employees and retirees runs from Sept. 30 – Oct. 25. “It’s the longest open enrollment period we ever had,” Folwell said, “and that’s by design.”
This is an important time because the state is transitioning to a new third-party administrator. In January, Aetna will take over from Blue Cross, and Folwell said folks will need to make some choices during open enrollment.
“Pay attention to your emails, don’t procrastinate, and read what it says,” Folwell said on Monday’s TownTalk.
If you’re among 150,000 or so state retirees on Humana’s Basic Plan, you should be all set – no action necessary. But the 600,000 or so other state employees and retirees will need to make sure they choose from their options during open enrollment.
There’s a bus tour happening now to bring information about the transition to residents across the state and McGregor Hall in Henderson will host a stop on Wednesday, Oct. 2 from 3-5 p.m. Visit https://www.shpnc.org/ and follow the links to register for this or other dates.
Folwell will be retiring at the end of this term – an unsuccessful bid for governor meant he was not eligible to file for re-election as treasurer, but he’s been no lame duck during his last months as treasurer.
Just last week, the LGC approved two key projects with local ties – a $400,000 for the City of Henderson to address lead pipe mitigation and a multi-million-dollar project to lay 23+ miles of water lines in the Kittrell area and to make improvements to that town’s 100,000-gallon water tank.
Henderson and Vance County are just two of the approximately 1,200 units that report to the LGC, which Folwell said was established 75 years or so ago as a measure to protect municipalities and county governments from insolvency.
Once Folwell hangs up all the hats associated with his current office, he said he’ll have plenty to keep him busy.
“I love fixing and I love saving,” he explained. As for the fixing part, he ticked off three things that will get his attention: his relationship with God, his family and motorcycles.
“I think I ‘m going to be very happy doing that,” he said.
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TownTalk: Illinois Man’s Death Thought To Be Suicide
/by WIZS Staff(Our coverage for this version of this story is available by clicking play.)
WIZS Radio Henderson Local News 09-16-24 Noon
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SportsTalk: Vance County Vs. Northern Durham Recap
/by WIZS StaffA look back at Friday night’s game between Vance County and Northern Durham.
(Our coverage for this story is available by clicking play.)
Relief Programs For Qualified Homeowners May Reduce Sting From Tax Bill
/by WIZS StaffThe deadline to appeal 2024 property tax valuations has passed, and technically, so has the deadline for qualified homeowners to try to get some relief from those tax bills, due before Jan. 6, 2025 to avoid a 2 percent interest penalty.
June 1 was the deadline to appeal – and apparently to apply for the three programs listed on the Vance County Tax Office website, according to Vance County Deputy Tax Assessor Jennifer Williams.
“After that date, the Tax Office cannot approve or deny any applications, but citizens can appeal their late applications to the Board (of Commissioners) up until the end of the calendar year for which they are applying,” Williams explained in a response to a question sent via email to the tax office late last week.
Commissioners Chair Dan Brummitt said that, to his knowledge, the board has “never denied a senior, veteran, exemption. Folks don’t always see the dates, so we try to work with people,” Brummitt told WIZS News.
The 2024 tax bills were sent out in late August, following the most recent property revaluation required by the state to be completed at least every eight years. The last property revaluation in Vance County was completed in 2016. Some property owners have seen a significant increase over last year’s bill, and the county wants to make sure that eligible homeowners know about the three programs offered.
Below are details of those programs:
Find details on the three programs at: www.vancecounty.org and click on departments then click on tax-overview and go to property-tax-relief-programs.
Or call the tax office at 252.738-2040 or email taxoffice@vancecounty.org.
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