As the wind and rain from Tropical Storm Debby continued to pelt the entire WIZS listening area Thursday morning, Duke Energy officials said power outages were limited at that time around Henderson and Vance County.
Duke Spokesman Garrett Poorman reminded customers to think Safety First. There are several ways to report a power outage in your area, but thanks to advances in grid technology, phone calls and text messages aren’t the only ways that the energy company is alerted to outages.
Report outages at www.duke-energy.com, text “OUT” to 57801 or download the Duke Energy app on a mobile device, he said on Thursday’s TownTalk. Of course, customers can dial 800-POWERON (800.769.3766) too, he said.
“The first priority is safety when it comes to storm damage,” Poorman said. That’s for crews and for customers.
Whenever winds are greater than 30 mph, crews are grounded from performing work in bucket trucks, he said.
And a couple of words of advice that bear repeating: if you see a downed power line, just stay away from it.
Even as forecasters were predicting the storm’s path, Duke was assembling 7,500 workers in strategic positions across the Carolinas, poised to fan out to areas affected by the storm’s damaging wind and rain.
Power restoration is a complex process, Poorman said, and Duke is continually upgrading the grid system to be able to automatically detect outages so crews can pinpoint the area that needs repair.
And then there are advances like a “self-healing network,” Poorman said, which works much like a GPS in your car. If there’s a traffic jam ahead, your GPS will likely reroute you to an alternate route. The self-healing network applies the same concept – it reroutes the energy to avoid the damaged lines.
“We’re able to reroute power around the outage,” Poorman said, “that will help us minimize the impact of a storm like this.”
Get updates at www.duke-energy.com.
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Granville County Public Schools Start Date Pushed To Aug. 13 To Allow For Open House
/by WIZS StaffGranville County Public Schools has pushed back by one day the opening of its 2024-25 school year in the wake of Tropical Storm Debby. The first day of class for students on the traditional calendar is now Tuesday, Aug. 13.
The school district cancelled Open House activities that had been scheduled for Thursday afternoon and evening because of the adverse weather conditions.
Open House activities have been rescheduled for Monday, Aug. 12 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and the school year will begin the next day, according to information on the school district’s social media page.
“We know this decision might be disruptive to some of our families,” the post stated, adding that the district leaders “greatly appreciate” parents’ flexibility to ensure the safety of students and staff.
Visit https://www.gcs.k12.nc.us/ or follow Granville County Public Schools on Facebook for the latest updates.
New Warden At Granville Correctional Institution
/by WIZS Staff– Information courtesy of N.C. Department of Adult Correction
Secretary of Adult Correction Todd Ishee has named Isaac Rogers as warden of Granville Correctional Institution in Butner.
Rogers previously served as warden of Dan River Prison Work Farm.
“Warden Rogers is a veteran leader with 27 years of experience in North Carolina corrections,” Ishee said. “He has a track record of success as a warden, and his background in rehabilitative programs will be a benefit for offenders who will someday transition back into their communities.”
As warden, Rogers is responsible for all operations at the Butner facility, which houses approximately 900 close-custody male offenders. Besides housing some of the state’s most violent offenders in high-security units, Granville Correctional is also one of four adult correctional facilities in the state with a school for young offenders.
Rogers began his career in 1997 as a correctional officer at Caswell Correctional Center. He advanced at Caswell, becoming a case manager in 2003, program supervisor in 2010 and programs director in 2017. He was promoted to assistant warden of programs at Dan River PWF in 2018, director of North Piedmont Confinement in Response to Violation Center in 2021 and warden of Dan River in 2022.
Rogers earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Elizabeth City State University. He holds Intermediate and Advanced Corrections Certificates from the N.C. Criminal Justice Training and Standards Commission and has completed training in Peak Performance, Advanced Leadership and New Wardens.
Fallen Tree Forces Several Road Closures In Oxford
/by WIZS StaffFrom the City of Oxford at 3 p.m.
Several city streets are closed because of a fallen tree, and city officials urge drivers to follow posted detour signs to avoid the affected area.
Currently, Forest Avenue is closed from College Street to Lanier Street; New College Street is also closed from Lee Street to Forest Avenue; and Dogwood Lane also is closed.
Crews are working to clear the area.
Granville Vance Public Health Closes At 2 PM Because Of Storm Conditions
/by WIZS StaffGranville Vance Public Health announced that it will close its offices Thursday at 2 p.m. due to flooding and downed trees from Tropical Storm Debby.
GVPH is scheduled to reopen tomorrow, Friday, Aug. 9, at 10:30 a.m.
TownTalk: Duke Energy Progress
/by WIZS StaffAs the wind and rain from Tropical Storm Debby continued to pelt the entire WIZS listening area Thursday morning, Duke Energy officials said power outages were limited at that time around Henderson and Vance County.
Duke Spokesman Garrett Poorman reminded customers to think Safety First. There are several ways to report a power outage in your area, but thanks to advances in grid technology, phone calls and text messages aren’t the only ways that the energy company is alerted to outages.
Report outages at www.duke-energy.com, text “OUT” to 57801 or download the Duke Energy app on a mobile device, he said on Thursday’s TownTalk. Of course, customers can dial 800-POWERON (800.769.3766) too, he said.
“The first priority is safety when it comes to storm damage,” Poorman said. That’s for crews and for customers.
Whenever winds are greater than 30 mph, crews are grounded from performing work in bucket trucks, he said.
And a couple of words of advice that bear repeating: if you see a downed power line, just stay away from it.
Even as forecasters were predicting the storm’s path, Duke was assembling 7,500 workers in strategic positions across the Carolinas, poised to fan out to areas affected by the storm’s damaging wind and rain.
Power restoration is a complex process, Poorman said, and Duke is continually upgrading the grid system to be able to automatically detect outages so crews can pinpoint the area that needs repair.
And then there are advances like a “self-healing network,” Poorman said, which works much like a GPS in your car. If there’s a traffic jam ahead, your GPS will likely reroute you to an alternate route. The self-healing network applies the same concept – it reroutes the energy to avoid the damaged lines.
“We’re able to reroute power around the outage,” Poorman said, “that will help us minimize the impact of a storm like this.”
Get updates at www.duke-energy.com.
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The Local Skinny! Granville Vance Publilc Health Updates Social Media
/by WIZS StaffGranville Vance Public Health Director Lisa Harrison and her team maintain a laser focus on community health and providing services that improve residents’ well-being. But there’s a newly formed team within the health department that has the task of tweaking the ways that people in the community learn about the wide scope of services available at the health department.
As a result of that teamwork, the GVPH social media presence is going to have a new look in the next week or so, and Harrison said it’s just one way she and her staff are working to be effective community partners.
“We want to make sure that we’re in lockstep in communicating in our two counties,” Harrison said on Thursday’s segment of The Local Skinny! “Social media is how we do that these days.”
Over the course of the next week or so, they’ll be finishing up the final details before the launch, Harrison said. For those who already follow GVPH on social media, there’s nothing special that needs to be done. The address won’t change, despite the fact that the health department will be using a new hosting site.
And for that younger demographic that prefers Instagram over Facebook, no worries – GVPH has you covered.
“We’re trying to do both and connect them in real time,” Harrison noted.
There are always lots of exciting things happening at the Vance and Granville locations, and it’s important to share them with the public.
Whether it’s a reminder to get a flu shot, the latest COVID-19 booster or any number of other programs the health department offers, Harrison said social media platforms are a way to push that information out.
Visit https://www.gvph.org/ to learn more.
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Maria Parham Clinics Cancel Afternoon Appointments; Planned Surgeries Not Affected
/by WIZS StaffDue to adverse weather conditions, all Maria Parham Health Physician Practice Clinics closed at 12 noon today, Aug. 8. If you have an appointment scheduled for this afternoon, our team will be reaching out to reschedule as soon as possible.
Good news: The hospital itself is fully operational with no loss of power, so all scheduled surgical procedures will proceed as planned.
Donna Young, the hospital’s marketing and communications coordinator and public information officer, said patients can find the latest information at the Maria Parham Health Facebook page.
Mayor Elliott Declares State Of Emergency As Tropical Storm Debby’s Rain, Wind Continues To Pound NC
/by WIZS StaffHenderson Mayor Melissa Elliott has declared a severe weather state of emergency as Tropical Storm Debby continues to bring rain, significant wind gusts and the potential for flash flooding across much of the state.
Although basically a formality, having a state of emergency order in place allows the city to act more quickly if needed to address problems that arise as a result of damage from the storm.
Details are contained within a proclamation issued by Elliott Thursday morning. WIZS News received the information just after 9 a.m.
Information from the National Weather Service that Henderson will experience intense rain and probable flash flooding topped with significant wind gusts over the next 24 to 48 hours as the system makes its way northward.
These extreme conditions have the potential for causing downed trees, power outages, flooding, tornadoes and other damage. Having a state of emergency in place gives municipalities the authority to respond to and mitigate emergency situations that may arise.
Read the full proclamation at https://henderson.nc.gov/
Cooperative Extension With Jamon Glover: Sharing, Pt. 4
/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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Criminal District Court Cancelled 8-8-24
/by John C. RoseHon. Henry Gupton, clerk of court in Vance County, told WIZS News criminal district court is cancelled 8-8-24.
Gupton said, “Our district court judge has decided to cancel district court today … Let me be clear. Criminal district (court) is cancelled but not civil district.”