It looks like a newspaper box, but the contents of this special vending machine outside the Warren County Memorial Library are life-saving resources to reverse opioid overdoses.
The Warren County Health Department joined the library and other local partners at a ribbon cutting on May 29 to announce the placement of the Naloxone vending machine outside the library.
It’s available 24 hours a day and includes an instructional video as well as risk-reduction supplies such as Naloxone, fentanyl/xylazine testing strips, medication lockboxes and more. Naloxone, also known as Narcan, is the opioid overdose reversal medication that has proven results saving the lives of individuals who have overdosed from opioid drugs, according to information from Warren County officials.
Guest speakers included Warren County Health Director Dr. Margaret Brake, Library Director Tanika Alston and Emergency Services Director Chris Tucker.
In her remarks, Alston stated, “We are excited to be part of this initiative aimed at preventing overdose deaths and creating a healthier community for everyone.”
The health department’s Health Educator Brittley Harris highlighted the supplies displayed in vending machine and described their use.
Supporting partners participating in the ceremony included representatives from Warren County Government, Emergency Medical Services, Sheriff’s Office, Detention Center, Parks & Recreation, Trillium Health Resources and Wilson County Substance Prevention Coalition.
In addition, the Health Department also provides the ONEbox™ emergency overdose reversal kits containing two doses of the opioid reversal medication, Naloxone, to local organizations, businesses, churches and county government offices. This will enable anyone in those places to administer naloxone quickly and safely to a person overdosing in an effort to save their life. If your business, church or organization is interested in receiving the ONEbox™, please call 252. 257.6017.
Health Department staff also provide training on how to use the kit.
ONEbox™ (Opioid Naloxone Emergency Box) is a self-contained, video-enabled opioid overdose reversal kit intended to contain two doses of the opioid reversal medication Naloxone, along with personal protective equipment and video instruction (in English and Spanish) that are activated when ONEbox™ is opened. ONEbox™ was invented by West Virginia native and entrepreneur Joe Murphy, who created the box after seeing the devastation the opioid crisis caused in his hometown community in Huntington, West Virginia.
Both the free vending machine supplies and the ONEbox™ are available to the community thanks to a grant partnership with Wilson County Substance Prevention Coalition.
Brake said, “We are pleased that our local partners support Naloxone training and access for populations most at-risk for overdose. We also recognize the importance of having access to the right tools at the right time to help in preventing an overdose. Awareness has never been more critical.”
Tucker noted that, “anyone is susceptible to overdose, not just those individuals experiencing addiction to drugs. Deaths from overdose are preventable through the timely administration of Naloxone/Narcan and appropriate response to overdose situations.”
Anyone interested in receiving free training on Overdose Prevention, Naloxone/Narcan administration and Hands-Only CPR can attend a two-hour training on Tuesday, June 24 at the Warren County Emergency Services Building. Please contact Chris Tucker 252.257.1191 or Rhonda Mushaw 252.257.6012 for more information and to register. Naloxone/Narcan will be available to those individuals who participate in the training.
The Local Skinny! Perry Memorial Library Activities Heat Up As Summer Approaches
/by WIZS StaffThere’s a “sit-in” planned for next week outside Perry Memorial Library, but it has nothing to do with protests – it’s a Community Read-In, and Youth Services Director Melody Peters says it’s a great way for folks to come out to show support for all the benefits of reading.
The invitation is open for anyone and everyone to gather on the lawn outside the library from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 25. Bring a lawn chair and bring your favorite printed material – whether that’s a book, magazine or newspaper – and enjoy reading with your neighbors.
Peters said she got the idea for the “read-in” at a recent community meeting where the discussion centered around ways to help the community move forward. “We need to show solidarity around something positive,” Peters said on Tuesday’s segment of The Local Skinny!
“Reading is positive. It’s peaceful. We want to see people reading,” she said. “In a world of electronics and AI, we need books.”
There’s another program taking place in the community that is gaining traction. There are book baskets located across the county that contain three different books that are free for the taking – it’s another effort to bring books to folks who may not be able to get to the library and to support the idea that reading is an enjoyable pastime. Peters said the program is proving to be successful. “It is so exciting…the books are moving,” she said.
This is the first time she’s doing this program, and she’s pleased so far. “You put things together and you never know how it’s going to work” until it gets going, she said.
The book baskets are located at Perry Memorial Library and at the following spots:
But reading isn’t the only thing that Peters is promoting – Saturday, June 21 is the Vance County Arts Council’s ‘Make Music Day’ and the library is the place where the day-long event will kick off.
“We’re having a musical storytime this Saturday at 12:30,” Peters said. Participants will sing songs, read stories about music and even make their own musical instrument with dry rice, a plastic egg and colorful duct tape.
Visit https://vanceartscouncil.com/event/make-music-day-saturday-june-21-2025/ for a full list of events for Make Music Day.
If you’re still looking for some fun reading activities, bring the kiddos to Family Storytime at the library on Sunday, June 22 at 3:30 p.m. The theme is “Summer” and Peters said they’ll read a story about summertime and an accompanying craft activity.
Throughout the summer, Peters said Tuesdays and Thursdays are “the” days for programming and activities.
On Tuesday, June 24, a local mobile petting zoo – yes! A mobile petting zoo called Zoo on the MOOVE will bring some of their favorite furry friends for a fun, interactive visit that begins at 11 a.m.
“These are their animals,” Peters said of the owners. “They love their animals and they want to share them with others.” Kids (and grownups, too) will get to interact with the animals and the owners will share information about them.
Then, at 4 p.m., staff from the Vance County Animal Shelter will bring some of their favorite dogs and cats who are looking for that “furever” home for a visit. Peters said the cats and dogs are always a big crowd favorite. Kids will get a chance to make dog toys out of old t-shirts and socks.
Visit https://www.perrylibrary.org/home to see a complete listing of programs and activities taking place at the library.
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Ryan Preble Named Franklin County Manager
/by WIZS Staff— information courtesy of Franklin County Public Information Officer James F. Hicks III
The Franklin County Board of County Commissioners has selected Ryan Preble as its new county manager.
Preble, who has been Interim County Manager since November 2024, was appointed unanimously at the June 16 regular meeting of the Franklin County Board of County Commissioners following a national search.
“I am honored and humbled by the confidence that the Board has placed in me,” Preble said. “I look forward to working with the Board and department leaders to address the challenges together.”
Preble served as Assistant County Manager from January 25, 2023, until being named Interim County Manager on November 4, 2024. Previously, he served as Chief Information Officer and Project Management Director in Wayne County from 2016 until 2023. He also worked as an Enterprise Project Manager for Alliance One International in Farmville and as a Management Information Systems Supervisor for McRae & Associates. He served in various Information Technology roles with the United States Air Force and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization for more than 11 years.
After the Board of County Commissioners approved the FY26 Budget earlier in the meeting, Commissioner Logan Davis commended Preble for his leadership during the process.
“It is a tall, tall task, it is a hard job,” Davis said to Preble. “You did a phenomenal job leading.”
Preble graduated from the University of Mount Olive with a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems. He also obtained a master’s degree in information technology with a concentration in project management and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Maryland Global Campus. He has also completed the Municipal and County Administration course with the UNC School of Government and is a Certified Government Chief Information Officer.
WIZS Radio Henderson Local News 06-17-25 Noon
/by John C. RoseClick Play to Listen. On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
Cooperative Extension: Disaster Preparedness, Pesticide Class, Master Gardener Training
/by WIZS StaffMichael Ellington, on the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report:
This segment has a few brief tips on how to be better prepared for disasters. It also reminds license holders of an upcoming pesticide class and announces an upcoming Master Gardener training course.
Links — go.ncsu.edu/commercialpesticide — https://ncdisaster.ces.ncsu.edu/preparedness/
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 Vance Public Health Community Health Assessment Participants Needed
/by Laura GabelResidents of Vance and Granville counties have until around mid-July to help Granville Vance Public Health gather information for the 2025 Community Health Assessment.
GVPH Director Lisa Harrison said the survey takes 15 or 20 minutes to complete, and the data will be used to guide the health department in developing programs that address health priorities in the two counties it serves over the next four years.
Harrison called residents in the two counties “our main customer, our main patient,” and the surveys will help her and health department staff understand what the priorities are within the community.
Anyone with a computer or a cell phone can access the survey, Harrison said on Monday’s TownTalk. Find it here: https://survey.sogolytics.com/r/GN8UoS
Paper copies also are available by calling GVPH’s Oxford office at 919.693.2141.
The most recent community health assessment, completed in 2021, revealed that folks are interested in affordable health care options, focusing on the health and safety of youth and substance use prevention and treatment options.
Having those three priorities helps Harrison and others focus attention – and money – on areas that are important to folks locally.
“It is really critical that we figure out priorities,” Harrison said. “It is your chance, as our community, to tell us really what’s important to you and what you want us to focus our limited resources on.”
Using data from the community health assessment helps Harrison and her team focus on the right issues, she said.
She hopes to get about 500 completed surveys from each county.
“We don’t do anything in public health without community at our side and as our focus,” Harrison said. “It is the thing we love. We do take everybody’s opinion seriously and make sure that we capture it regularly so that we make the right kind of progress for our local comm, not just what’s happening everywhere else in the world.”
“We welcome everyone’s opinion, in every different neighborhood and crossroad” from retirees to youth, Harrison said she wants the community health assessment to capture different opinions and perspectives.
The survey is anonymous, and Harrison said participants have the option to skip questions they don’t want to answer and complete the survey over more than one sitting. The survey will most likely be open until July 11 to make sure people have enough time to go through it.
“Health is critical for all the things we do in life. If we’re not healthy, we can’t be productive, word-hard citizens…we can’t be good family members, we can’t be safe drivers…all the things go back to our health. We’re proud to be your folks working on that every day.”
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Naloxone, Other Opioid Reversal Medications Available In Vending Machine Outside Warren County Memorial Library
/by WIZS StaffIt looks like a newspaper box, but the contents of this special vending machine outside the Warren County Memorial Library are life-saving resources to reverse opioid overdoses.
The Warren County Health Department joined the library and other local partners at a ribbon cutting on May 29 to announce the placement of the Naloxone vending machine outside the library.
It’s available 24 hours a day and includes an instructional video as well as risk-reduction supplies such as Naloxone, fentanyl/xylazine testing strips, medication lockboxes and more. Naloxone, also known as Narcan, is the opioid overdose reversal medication that has proven results saving the lives of individuals who have overdosed from opioid drugs, according to information from Warren County officials.
Guest speakers included Warren County Health Director Dr. Margaret Brake, Library Director Tanika Alston and Emergency Services Director Chris Tucker.
In her remarks, Alston stated, “We are excited to be part of this initiative aimed at preventing overdose deaths and creating a healthier community for everyone.”
The health department’s Health Educator Brittley Harris highlighted the supplies displayed in vending machine and described their use.
Supporting partners participating in the ceremony included representatives from Warren County Government, Emergency Medical Services, Sheriff’s Office, Detention Center, Parks & Recreation, Trillium Health Resources and Wilson County Substance Prevention Coalition.
In addition, the Health Department also provides the ONEbox™ emergency overdose reversal kits containing two doses of the opioid reversal medication, Naloxone, to local organizations, businesses, churches and county government offices. This will enable anyone in those places to administer naloxone quickly and safely to a person overdosing in an effort to save their life. If your business, church or organization is interested in receiving the ONEbox™, please call 252. 257.6017.
Health Department staff also provide training on how to use the kit.
ONEbox™ (Opioid Naloxone Emergency Box) is a self-contained, video-enabled opioid overdose reversal kit intended to contain two doses of the opioid reversal medication Naloxone, along with personal protective equipment and video instruction (in English and Spanish) that are activated when ONEbox™ is opened. ONEbox™ was invented by West Virginia native and entrepreneur Joe Murphy, who created the box after seeing the devastation the opioid crisis caused in his hometown community in Huntington, West Virginia.
Both the free vending machine supplies and the ONEbox™ are available to the community thanks to a grant partnership with Wilson County Substance Prevention Coalition.
Brake said, “We are pleased that our local partners support Naloxone training and access for populations most at-risk for overdose. We also recognize the importance of having access to the right tools at the right time to help in preventing an overdose. Awareness has never been more critical.”
Tucker noted that, “anyone is susceptible to overdose, not just those individuals experiencing addiction to drugs. Deaths from overdose are preventable through the timely administration of Naloxone/Narcan and appropriate response to overdose situations.”
Anyone interested in receiving free training on Overdose Prevention, Naloxone/Narcan administration and Hands-Only CPR can attend a two-hour training on Tuesday, June 24 at the Warren County Emergency Services Building. Please contact Chris Tucker 252.257.1191 or Rhonda Mushaw 252.257.6012 for more information and to register. Naloxone/Narcan will be available to those individuals who participate in the training.
No Doubt About It: Council Votes To Formally Adopt FY 2025-26 Budget At Special Called Meeting Monday
/by WIZS StaffThe Henderson City Council took just a few minutes Monday to formally adopt the FY 2025-26 budget during a special called meeting that took place at 12 noon in Council chambers.
City Manager/City Attorney Hassan T. Kingsberry introduced the budget and Council Member Tami Walker made a motion – seconded by Council Member Garry Daeke – to approve.
Council Members Geraldine Champion, Sam Seifert, Michael Venable, Daeke and Walker voted yes.
Council Members Sara Coffey, Lamont Noel and Ola Thorpe-Cooper were not present for the meeting.
The budget adoption had been on the agenda at the June 9 regular monthly meeting, but there was some confusion about whether the council actually took a vote to formally adopt the $54 million budget.
Mayor Melissa Elliott remarked at the special called meeting that she didn’t request an addendum to the budget when she called for the vote at last week’s meeting.
That confusion was cleared up by the vote taken during the special called meeting.
The budget must be approved before July 1, when the new fiscal year begins.
Magnolia Ernest Summer Pool Hours Begin Tuesday, June 17
/by WIZS StaffMake a splash at the Magnolia Ernest Recreation Center – the pool is opening Tuesday, June 17!
Summer pool hours are:
The fee is $1.00 per session.
The Magnolia Ernest Recreation Complex pool is located 252 Duke Dr. in Norlina.
Weather and lifeguard availability may affect pool open status. In case of inclement weather, please call the rainout line at 252.242.5502, extension 10.
For more information, contact Parks and Recreation office at 252.257.2272 or parksandrecreation@warrencountync.gov.
Arrest Made in Double Homicide Investigation
/by WIZS StaffThis morning, at approximately 9 (o’clock), Michael Sharron Wright (age 41) was taken into custody without incident by Sheriff Robert Fountain of the Granville County Sheriff’s Office. Wright was apprehended in connection with the June 15, 2025, double homicide on Maple Street in Henderson.
Following his arrest, investigators from the Henderson Police Department processed Wright alongside the Granville County deputies, and he was presented before a Granville County Magistrate for formal warrant service. He was ordered held without bond pending his initial court appearance and is currently being housed at the Granville County Detention Center.
The Henderson Police Department extends its sincere gratitude to Sheriff Robert Fountain and the deputies of the Granville County Sheriff’s Office for their swift and professional partnership as they worked in conjunction with our agency throughout the night. We also wish to thank the Vance County and Franklin County Sheriff’s Offices for their support during the course of this investigation.
This remains an active investigation. Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact the Henderson Police Department at 252-438-4141 or Crime Stoppers at 252-492-1925.
— press release 6-16-25 at 11:06 a.m.
Marcus W. Barrow
Chief of Police
********************
On Sunday, June 15, 2025, at approximately 6:45 PM, officers with the Henderson Police Department were dispatched to the 900 block of Maple Street in reference to a reported shooting.
Upon arrival, officers located two victims suffering from gunshot wounds: Teresa Davis, age 63, and her son, Joseph Jeffreys Jr., age 26, both of Maple Street. Sadly, both individuals were pronounced deceased at the scene by medical personnel.
This is an active and ongoing investigation. Based on information gathered thus far, detectives have obtained warrants for Michael Sharron Wright, age 41, for the homicide of both victims. Wright was last seen fleeing the area in a white Hyundai Sonata bearing North Carolina license plate KEE-6554.
Wright is considered armed and dangerous. Do not approach. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to contact the Henderson Police Department at (252) 438-4141 or call 911 immediately. Tips that can aid in the apprehension of the suspect or assist the ongoing investigation are strongly encouraged.
No further details can be released at this time to protect the integrity of the investigation.
— press release 6-15-25 at 10:19 p.m.
Cooperative Extension: Ants Can Be Controlled with Baits in Homes
/by WIZS StaffWayne Rowland, on the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report:
Ants can be controlled with baits in homes using the correct bait.
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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