Home And Garden Show

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On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.

  • With forecasted heavy rain open rows to prevent flooding in your garden
  • Plant tall fescue now.
  • Check for crusting of soil where recently planted seed in your fall garden
  • Think about how you could compost your fall leaves.
  • Prepare for inclement weather now. Emergency Kit, Have A Plan for Inclement weather!
  • Get ready to plant trees and shrubs.
  • Order bulbs that you will plant this fall.
  • Consider adding plants to your landscape that will add beauty in the winter.
  • Keep your Garden Journal up to date. Take pictures of what you grew this spring and what you have planted in the fall garden for future reference.
  • Avoid pruning.
  • Take stock of leftover garden seed.

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State Highway Patrol

Driving This Holiday Weekend? Remember: Booze It And Lose It

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State and local law enforcement officers will be out in force over the holiday weekend and beyond as part of the “Labor Day Booze It & Lose It” campaign, so as you plan to enjoy a last summertime hurrah, make sure those plans include having a designated driver. Don’t drink and drive.

Increased patrols and checkpoints will be conducted statewide through Sept. 10, to keep impaired drivers off North Carolina roads. North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein helped lead Monday’s kickoff event at the Davidson County Rest Area off Interstate 85 South.  “Keeping people safe has to be Job One for all of us,” Stein said. “If you drink and drive, you will get caught. Protect yourself and others – never operate a motor vehicle if you’ve been drinking.”The “Booze It & Lose It” campaign aims to eliminate impaired driving using outreach and stepped-up law enforcement efforts. Nearly every law enforcement agency in North Carolina participates in the 29-year-old campaign.   “This Labor Day, we want you to plan ahead by arranging a sober ride home from any festivities that might involve alcohol or other impairing substances,” said Mark Ezzell, director of the N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program, a part of the N.C. Department of Transportation. “Law Enforcement will be working extra patrols during this campaign to keep all motorists safe by catching those who don’t heed this message. There’s really no excuse.”

Alcohol is a leading contributor to fatal crashes in North Carolina, according to crash data compiled by the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles. Between 2017 and 2022, North Carolina has averaged more than one alcohol-related vehicle fatality each day. Last year, there were 462 alcohol-related fatalities on North Carolina roads and 16 of those deaths came during the Labor Day period.

TownTalk: Hester Discusses Shell Building And Development

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It was just last fall when local government officials and others gathered at the Industrial Park outside Henderson to break ground on construction of a shell building.

Today, that building is ready to be upfitted to suit a potential buyer’s needs. County Commissioner Tommy Hester said the building is under contract to a manufacturing firm, but the company isn’t ready to make a public announcement just yet.

Hester, who chairs the Industrial Park Board, said construction went smoothly since that chilly November groundbreaking.

The idea was simple: Put up a building and have everything in place for a manufacturer or other commercial entity to come in and finish out the space to suit its particular needs.

As for this shell building, Hester said the new owner will probably still have to put in another $1 million or more to complete the building.

“You don’t want to finish it because you don’t know what upgrades they’ll want,” Hester said on Tuesday’s TownTalk. “You try to hit all of the major things that you think they’ll need,” he added. The building has a layer of gravel and a vapor barrier, as well as cargo doors and it’s expandable to 97,000 square feet.

“You’ve just got to have flexibility,” Hester said, to accommodate a variety of prospective buyers.

Hester said he predicted this building would be sold before it could be completed, and that’s just what has happened.

“I think we can do it again,” he said.

The county purchased the land for the park for $1.6 million. Add the infrastructure – with grants and from the state and federal departments of Commerce to offset costs – and the park has roads and water and sewer services. The road should be completed in December, Hester said.

The county made an investment, and Hester said it’s paying off.

“Success builds on success,” he said. “If you don’t invest, you don’t get a return.” More manufacturing means more local jobs and more money flowing to county coffers in the form of taxes.

“We’re in the right location at the right time,” Hester said of Henderson and Vance County’s proximity to Wake and Durham counties.

35 or 40 jobs over 2 or 3 year period, where growth is burgeoning.

It’s not just growth in the commercial sector, either. Hester cited housing developments in the county that could add 1,000 more homes in the next three to five years.

“The more rooftops you get here in this community, the more retail, the more you can help with quality of lives of citizens,” Hester said.

“It’s all happening faster than I thought,” he acknowledged. “I think we’re getting ready to grow.”

 

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Perry Memorial Library

The Local Skinny! Upcoming Events At Perry Memorial Library

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The official first day of autumn is still a few weeks away, but fall programs at Perry Memorial Library are getting started this week.

Youth Services Director Melody Peters said things are shaping up for a wonderful fall at the library – come on in and have some fun!

Mother Goose story time is starting back up after a short end-of-summer break, Children 0-5 are welcome to come hear a few stories, sing a few songs and get some wiggles out, Peters said Tuesday on The Local Skinny!

Before children can read the words on a page, Peters said, they really need to hear the stories read to them.

Children pay attention to the voices as the stories are read aloud, she noted. All the senses are firing in a child’s first two years, so she takes care to choose books that are visually appealing written by diverse authors.

“It’s a fast, full 30 minutes,” Peters said of the weekly story time. “We’re not sitting still for this…we’re goint to have that song and move their bodies,” she said. They “practice” sitting while the stories are being read, but other than that, there’s a good bit of activity.

The story time uses themes and the first one is “On the Farm,” followed by “Apples” and “Fall.”

Story Time is all about “quality, not necessarily quantity,” she said. “You want to leave them wanting more.”

Speaking of more, that’s exactly what teens in grades 6-12 are getting in this season’s Life Hack series, Peters said. To kick things off, there’s STEM gaming fun in the Maker Space in September. From using the popular Wii system to learning about robots, tweens and teens can come together and just get used to coming to the library and using the creative space.

In October, they’ll have a chance to learn about electricity and actually have some hands-on learning by making electric circuits. Peters found a grant to purchase some kits filled with dozens of projects for the teens to learn with.

In November, a local bank representative is going to navigate youth through the ins and outs of personal finance. Although it’s pretty simple to wave your phone in front of a device to pay for something, the time will come when young people will need to be a little more tuned in to paycheck information, bank deposits and checking accounts.

Visit https://www.perrylibrary.org/ to learn about all the programs and services available for children and grownups alike.

 

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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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Granville Health System Gets 4 Stars From Centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services

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Granville Health System has received a four-star rating by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for delivering exceptional patient-centered care and ensuring their well-being.

“The Hospital Compare ratings evaluate crucial facets such as patient experience, safety protocols, care efficiency, and clinical outcomes and are paramount for healthcare institutions nationwide,” according to information from GHS Marketing & Foundation Director Lauren Roberson.

Adam McConnell, GHS Interim CEO, expressed pride in the achievement. “Our medical staff and the entire Granville Health System team have shown unwavering commitment to ensuring excellence in patient care,” McConnell said in the press statement. “This four-star rating validates the tireless dedication of our medical professionals, administrators and support staff, all united in our mission to positively impact the lives of our valued patients every single day.”

Granville Health System has implemented various initiatives to enhance patient safety, optimize treatment outcomes, and elevate the overall patient experience. Investments in medical technology, as well as fostering a compassionate environment and placing a strong emphasis on patient-centered care all contribute to the hospital’s overall quality.

The Granville Health System main campus is located at 1010 College Street, Oxford. Visit www.ghsHospital.org to learn more.

TownTalk: Henderson Police Work With Federal Task Forces To Get Results

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It’s always a good day when a police chief receives positive comments about his officers’ professionalism and thorough investigations. And Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow is hearing those kinds of comments from federal district attorneys, including the head of the U.S. Eastern District Court of North Carolina.

Barrow said he got a call two Fridays ago from U.S. Attorney Michael Easley Jr. himself in connection with a federal case.

“I was honored that he called me,” Barrow said on Monday’s TownTalk. “He spoke to me and praised the work that we’ve been able to do.” Easley complimented the local department on their professionalism and the way they put cases together, Barrow said.

In a recent press release regarding the sentencing of a local man in federal court, Easley commented: “The Henderson Police Department has made major investments in the federal partnership and the people of Henderson are safer for it. This city is bringing every law enforcement tool to fight the opioid crisis, and we are proud to partner with state and local police and prosecutors to fight fentanyl trafficking and save lives.”

“We’re well established in the federal system,” Barrow said, for the way “we produce great cases,” from creating reports to collecting and processing evidence.

Click Play for Barrow on WIZS TownTalk

Some members of the local police department serve on different federal task forces of the Drug Enforcement Agency, Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Barrow said, which provides a path for some cases to be tried in federal court.

“We truly did a big investment into the federal program,” Barrow explained. With input from local district attorneys to decide which cases – usually involving guns and drugs – should go to federal court, Barrow said the trials and sentencing can happen in a “pretty swift” manner.

The main thing, he said, is that “they are removed from our community – they are the worst of the worst.”

Barrow said his department also can assist other agencies.

“It’s a big collaborative effort on our part. We’re just trying to get everybody on board…We’re just looking at the best solution for our community,” he said.

The officers who participate on the various task forces are just part of the resources that Barrow said he needs to help keep Henderson and its residents safe.

He would like to purchase something called True Narc, a system that can safely field test narcotics and protect officers from exposure to harmful drugs like Fentanyl.

He said this system will produce an immediate test result when officers are out in the field. And he’s investigating ways of paying for it.

“Instead of using taxpayers’ money, I’d rather use drug dealers’ money,” he said.

The Eastern District includes Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties among the 44 easternmost counties of North Carolina. The office is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes in the district, including crimes related to terrorism, public corruption, child exploitation, firearms and narcotics.  The office also defends the United States in civil cases and collects debts owed to the United States.