16. 26. 24. 7. 365.
They could be numbers on a lottery scratch-off card, but for Darryl Jones, shelter program manager at the new City Road Center for Hope Men’s Shelter, they signify a jackpot of a different sort.
The newly renovated space at the former City Road Methodist Church can provide overnight shelter for 16 men, and up to 10 more in the overflow area. That makes 26 altogether who can find refuge, a warm bed and more within the walls of the emergency shelter.
Once open only during the winter months, the shelter now can be open every day, all year. 24/7.
Jones was a guest on Wednesday’s TownTalk and said the shelter never had to close during the transition from its original space in the basement of First Presbyterian Church in downtown Henderson to its new location at 903 N. Garnett St.
The public is invited to come out and see the transformation in a couple of upcoming events – a ribbon-cutting ribbon cutting at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9 and a celebration on Saturday, Oct. 12, also at 10 a.m.
Jones said these events will serve an important dual purpose: first, to show the community the results of their donations and financial support and, second, to show how much the shelter needs to have ongoing support.
When they were in the church basement, the shelter didn’t have utility bills to pay, he said.
“Now, we have to pay that,” lights, water and more are just a few of the ongoing costs the shelter will incur.
Critical ongoing support, will help the shelter “keep moving forward and growing,” Jones said.
“This thing is bigger than me, bigger than our organization,” he said of the overarching concept of homeless ministry.
Following the teachings of Jesus, Jones said the shelter staff and volunteers choose to help the “least” in the community. In this case, it’s men who for a variety of reasons find themselves without housing.
“We’re trying to help homeless people get back on their feet,” said Jones, who once found himself on the receiving end of the shelter services just more than a decade ago. During that time, a man named William James Avery was a volunteer overnight supervisor. He became a member of the paid staff, and the overflow room at the new shelter is named in his memory.
Jones said Avery was looking forward to seeing the shelter in its new space; he died in 2023 at the age of 80.
Jones called Avery a friend and coworkers. “He was a mainstay with Community Partners of Hope for nine years. He was somebody you could always count on…when nobody would show up, he would come.”
Visit www.cp-hope.org to sign up to provide meals, and to learn about other ways to support the shelter.
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The Local Skinny! Fire Prevention Lunch And Learn Oct. 3
/by WIZS StaffIn observance of National Fire Prevention Month, the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce, along with Abria’s Chase Foundation and the Henderson Fire Department, present a Lunch and Learn at Station #1 on Thursday, Oct. 3 beginning at 12 noon.
The deadline to sign up is Monday, Sept. 30, so please call the Chamber office at 252.438.8414 or email Tanya Wilson at tanya@hendersonvance.org to register.
Ayana Lewis of Abria’s Chase Foundation said their mission is to prevent others from experiencing the tragedy she and her family endured because of a house fire. Two of the couple’s children perished in a 2009 housefire.
Since 2010, the nonprofit helps provide smoke detectors, support groups and other resources to families who have found themselves in need.
Henderson Fire Chief Tim Twisdale said he and his staff strive to engage the community about smoke alarms, including talking with residents who live in areas with a higher instance of fires In addition to making sure homes have working smoke alarms, Twisdale said he and fellow firefighters remind people about the proper use of drop cords and safe placement of supplemental heat sources like space heaters.
Fires that involve cooking account for half of all fires nationwide, he said, adding that “local numbers reflect that also. Never leave cooking appliances unattended,” he warned.
Chamber President Sandra Wilkerson commended the fire department for the excellent job its members do to educate schoolchildren and called on business leaders and others to come learn what the fire department offers as a way to further prevent fires.
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Cooperative Extension With Jamon Glover: Rewriting The Narrative Episode 4
/by WIZS StaffCooperative Extension
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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SportsTalk: Interview with Louisburg High School Head Coach Dontae Lassiter
/by Scout HughesSportsTalk on WIZS 12:30 p.m. M-Th
As we approach another week of high school football in the Tar-Heel State, two teams, two high schools, two counties side-by-side. Vance County will travel to Louisburg to take on the Warriors who have a respectable winning record so far in 2024.
To start off SportsTalk, Scout Hughes and George Hoyle spoke about the history of teams from Vance County vs. Louisburg High School. These schools have played each other a total of 32 times, based on research from WIZS. That number may seem small compared to some of the other schools that Vance County has played in their existence. George gave a good reason for this, “At least from the mid-70s on, Louisburg was a 1A school up until a few years ago…They were 1A when I was growing up…Vance County never played Louisburg.” It wasn’t common for Vance, a 4A school in the 80s, to play a 1A school like Louisburg. This all-time series starts way back in 1923 when Henderson played Louisburg and won 45-6. Henderson and Louisburg would play again in 1924. After that, a team from Vance County would not play Louisburg until 1993 when the Warriors defeated Southern Vance 34-0. Between Northern and Southern Vance, the Vikings and Raiders played Louisburg a total of 29 times.
The 2024 edition of Vance County vs. Louisburg offers a different set of circumstances. The game has been moved to Thursday as opposed to Friday due to weather conditions that are expected to fall on Friday.
After reminiscing the history between the two squads, Louisburg Head Coach Dontae Lassiter joined SportsTalk to preview the game between the Vipers and the Warriors. Coach Lassiter likes the way his team has performed so far given their winning record. “Our defense has been getting better every game. Offensively we lost a lot last year, lost a lot of our touchdowns to graduating seniors. They’ve improved. I like our youth.”
Going into this week Coach Lassiter has stated that he’s looked at Vance County’s film and has high marks for the Vipers, “They’re extremely athletic. Physical team. Like I said their quarterback is pretty good. He is a tough kid to contain. They’ve got a good running back, he’s a downhill runner. They’ve got a few good receivers that they can toss the ball to. Offensively they’re really good, in all facets. On defense, they’ve got some dudes as well…If we do what we’re supposed to do and play a good game, we may be able to contain them.”
To sum it all up, Coach Lassiter gave us his keys to beating Vance County on Thursday, “We need to play probably I say two halves of football. I don’t think we’ve done that this year. We played only maybe one half of football in every game we played in and that’s kind of evident with some of the scores. Some of the games we lost I think if we could’ve played both halves we would have won those games too. We’ve got to contain their athletes and their explosive plays. On offense, we got to find a way to get the ball in the endzone, and eat a little clock as we do it.”
Louisburg Head Coach Dontae Lassiter has a message to his Warrior fans for Thursday night, “Come out and cheer us on and we’re going to try to get it done.”
Coach, we will see you then!
Vance County travels to Louisburg for Week 6 of the 2024 season on Thursday, September 26th and you can hear all the action on WIZS 1450AM, 100.1FM, and online at wizs.com with pregame starting at 6:50 p.m. and kickoff thereafter at 7:00 p.m.
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Red Cross: September Is National Preparedness Month
/by WIZS StaffAs meteorologists along the East Coast track the season’s next predicted hurricane, the American Red Cross of North Carolina reminds residents during National Preparedness Month that taking a few minutes to plan ahead can have a big impact on how you, your family and your household fare during weather events.
Whether it’s a hurricane with storm surge and flooding or wildfires and extreme heat, families across the country need to make sure they’re ready in case of an emergency.
“Disasters can happen at any time, often without warning, changing lives forever in just minutes,” said Rebecca Pittman, Regional Disaster Officer for the North Carolina Region. “As we experience more extreme weather, it’s critical to help protect your loved ones and National Preparedness Month is the ideal time to get your household ready for emergencies.”
Pittman said individuals can get ready for disasters by making a plan to stay safe, gathering important supplies and knowing how you’ll stay connected in case family members become separated for one reason or another.
Follow these steps to prepare for emergencies:
This year, experts forecasted active wildfires and hurricanes — predictions that are proving to be true. In July, Hurricane Beryl broke records as the earliest Category 5 storm ever recorded and in early August, Hurricane Debby brought widespread flooding to much of the East Coast. So far in 2024, 2.7 million more acres of land have been burned by wildfires compared to all of 2023. Plus, 2024 is on track to be the hottest year on record according to experts. Altogether in 2024, the U.S has experienced 19 climate disasters, each with losses of over a billion dollars — more than double the average from the last 40 years.
When these disasters happen, the Red Cross is there providing food, shelter and comfort to ensure no one faces such a difficult time alone. To help families better cope with increased extreme weather, the Red Cross is also enhancing our support for those who need it most and increasing our capacity to respond to non-stop disasters.
“The best defense during an emergency is to be prepared, and that’s true for both our individual families and our entire community,” said Pittman. “During National Preparedness Month, consider donating to help people affected by disasters big and small, or making an appointment to give blood. If you have the time, take a first aid class or put on a red vest and join us as a volunteer.”
Visit redcross.org or call 800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767) to learn more today.
Home And Garden Show
/by WIZS StaffOn the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Extension:
The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is located at 210 Southpark Dr., Henderson, NC 27536.
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WIZS Radio Henderson Local News 09-25-24 Noon
/by WIZS StaffLocal News on WIZS On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
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TownTalk: Darryl Jones – City Road Center for Hope Opens
/by WIZS Staff16. 26. 24. 7. 365.
They could be numbers on a lottery scratch-off card, but for Darryl Jones, shelter program manager at the new City Road Center for Hope Men’s Shelter, they signify a jackpot of a different sort.
The newly renovated space at the former City Road Methodist Church can provide overnight shelter for 16 men, and up to 10 more in the overflow area. That makes 26 altogether who can find refuge, a warm bed and more within the walls of the emergency shelter.
Once open only during the winter months, the shelter now can be open every day, all year. 24/7.
Jones was a guest on Wednesday’s TownTalk and said the shelter never had to close during the transition from its original space in the basement of First Presbyterian Church in downtown Henderson to its new location at 903 N. Garnett St.
The public is invited to come out and see the transformation in a couple of upcoming events – a ribbon-cutting ribbon cutting at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9 and a celebration on Saturday, Oct. 12, also at 10 a.m.
Jones said these events will serve an important dual purpose: first, to show the community the results of their donations and financial support and, second, to show how much the shelter needs to have ongoing support.
When they were in the church basement, the shelter didn’t have utility bills to pay, he said.
“Now, we have to pay that,” lights, water and more are just a few of the ongoing costs the shelter will incur.
Critical ongoing support, will help the shelter “keep moving forward and growing,” Jones said.
“This thing is bigger than me, bigger than our organization,” he said of the overarching concept of homeless ministry.
Following the teachings of Jesus, Jones said the shelter staff and volunteers choose to help the “least” in the community. In this case, it’s men who for a variety of reasons find themselves without housing.
“We’re trying to help homeless people get back on their feet,” said Jones, who once found himself on the receiving end of the shelter services just more than a decade ago. During that time, a man named William James Avery was a volunteer overnight supervisor. He became a member of the paid staff, and the overflow room at the new shelter is named in his memory.
Jones said Avery was looking forward to seeing the shelter in its new space; he died in 2023 at the age of 80.
Jones called Avery a friend and coworkers. “He was a mainstay with Community Partners of Hope for nine years. He was somebody you could always count on…when nobody would show up, he would come.”
Visit www.cp-hope.org to sign up to provide meals, and to learn about other ways to support the shelter.
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TownTalk: Opioid Settlement for Vance County
/by WIZS StaffIn the first five months of 2024, there were 13 “fentanyl-positive” deaths in Vance County.
That number represents a 225 percent increase from 2023, when there were four deaths associated with the illicit drug that is wreaking havoc and causing overdose deaths.
The majority of victims are black males, non-Hispanic, in two different age groups – 25-34 and 45-54, according to information shared by Vance County Manager C. Renee Perry during the Sept. 14 annual meeting of the county’s opioid task force.
So far, Vance County has received $1,861,404.66 as part of the multi-year, multi-billion-dollar national opioid settlement. The payouts will take place over an 18-year period, during which Vance County stands to get $6.2 million from the state’s total $1.3 billion.
To date, however, Vance County has yet to allocate a penny of those funds.
“There are no plans in place just yet for the funds,” Perry said in comments during her presentation at the meeting, which lasted less than half an hour.
Perry told commissioners present at the meeting that the local opioid committee has met once and has plans to meet again before the end of the calendar year to render a plan. Commissioners Sean Alston, Yolanda Feimster and Carolyn Faines make up the committee right now, and Perry said others from the community will join.
Recipients of the settlement money have a couple of options from which to choose as they plan how to allocate the funds, and Vance County has chosen the option that calls for supporting “high impact opioid abatement strategies” that include a variety of programs and services, such as the following:
Commissioner Archie Taylor said he would like to see additional diversity on the committee – different age groups, ethnic groups, as well as individuals in recovery.
Board Chair Dan Brummitt said the committee was created under the watch of former Chair Feimster and “I don’t have any intention” to change what the former chair had put in place.
Taylor countered a few minutes later by saying that perhaps the matter should be made an agenda item for an upcoming board of commissioners meeting.
Perry said she had recommended to the three-member committee that they may consider as committee members representatives from the sheriff’s office, EMS and others who interact with the affected population on a daily basis.
Brummitt said the committee wants to involve community organizations and those with lived experiences in the decision-making process.
Perry said she would inquire about how surrounding counties are choosing to spend their settlement money and report back to the board.
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Maria Parham Health To Add Robot To Surgical Team
/by WIZS Staff– information courtesy of Maria Parham Health
Operating rooms at Maria Parham Health are going to have an extra set of hands available to assist with surgical procedures when the da Vinci Xi comes on board.
The surgical system, a product of Intuitive, will be able to assist with providing state-of-the-art minimally invasive care across a wide array of procedures, including gynecologic, urology and general surgeries, according to information from MPH Public Information Officer Donna Young.
“Our team is excited to integrate the da Vinci Xi® system into our surgical offerings,” said Bert Beard, CEO at Maria Parham Health. “This innovative technology not only enhances our ability to perform complex surgeries with greater precision but also ensures better outcomes and faster recovery for our patients.”
But the robot, like all members of the surgical team, needs a name, and the community is invited to enter a “Name the Robot” contest. Visit the Maria Parham Health Facebook page and send a private message with your entry – along with your name, phone number and email.
All entries received before Thursday, Sept. 26 will be entered in a drawing to win a pair of tickets to the Sept. 27 “Extreme Illusions & Escapes” show at the Jones Performing Arts Center in Louisburg.
A $100 Amaon gift card will be awarded to the person who comes up with the winning name for the robot. The winner will be announced on Nov. 4 at a “Meet the Robot” event.
Since its introduction in 1999, the da Vinci surgical system has been used in more than 775,000 procedures worldwide, demonstrating its effectiveness and reliability as a surgical option for many patients in good health.
The da Vinci Xi® system integrates a sophisticated surgical console with four interactive robotic arms, proprietary EndoWrist® surgical instruments, and a high-definition three-dimensional visual system. This advanced setup allows surgeons to perform complex operations with unmatched precision and control.
The da Vinci system combines the surgeon’s expertise with robotic precision, allowing for tiny, controlled movements that would be difficult to achieve with human hands alone. This enables complex surgeries to be performed through smaller incisions, resulting in less tissue damage and shorter recovery times for patients.
Equipped with four robotic arms and a versatile range of surgical tools, the da Vinci Xi system enhances a surgeon’s ability to perform various procedures, including:
The minimally invasive nature of da Vinci surgery offers numerous advantages:
For more information about the da Vinci Xi® surgical system and to learn about minimally invasive surgical options at Maria Parham Health, please visit MariaParham.com.
(Maria Parham is an advertising client of WIZS and WIZS.com. This is not a paid ad.)
TownTalk: Lee Edmonds – Fire Prevention Open House
/by WIZS StaffThere’s just something about a fire truck that brings out the little kid in adults, and kids of all ages are invited to come to an Open House at Station #1 on Dabney Drive to see those shiny red marvels up close and personal.
Battalion Chief Lee Edmonds, who has been with Henderson Fire Department for about 10 years, said the fire trucks and free food are all part of a plan to encourage the community to come to the fire station to learn about more about fire safety and the importance of having smoke alarms – working smoke alarms – in their homes.
The Open House will take place on Oct. 9 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the station, located at 211 Dabney Drive.
The Open House is being held during Fire Prevention Week (Oct. 6-12). This year’s theme is “Smoke Alarms: Make Them Work For You.”
It’s a good idea to have smoke alarms inside every bedroom, Edmonds said, but also outside each bedroom as well.
“A lot of times, it’s not the fire, it’s the smoke that gets them first,” Edmonds said. Working smoke alarms give people time to get out safely if a fire breaks out; they don’t do much good at all if the battery is removed or if the device is removed altogether.
Edmonds reminds city residents that they can all the fire department at 252.430.1877 to request that fire offiicials come out and check their smoke alarms. “We offer that free service,” Edmonds said. “If it does not work, we will replace it, or replace the battery.”
If you live outside the city limits, Edmonds said he can connect you with a representative of county fire department or volunteer fire department to conduct a similar service.
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