TownTalk: December Events In Granville County

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There are plenty of upcoming activities in Granville County to make even those Scrooges or Grinches get in the holiday spirit.

Granville Tourism Director Angela Allen joined WIZS’s own Bill Harris on Wednesday’s TownTalk to talk about upcoming Christmas parades, drive-thru events and more.

The Granville Christmas Farm stows all its scary decorations in favor of twinkling holiday lights and scenery on weekends in December, Allen said. After Dec. 18, however, the drive-thru display will be open during the week as well.

Check out a live performance of Granville County-based group The Barefoot Movement, which will be at The Orpheum on Saturday evening, Dec. 2. Noah Wall and Tommy Norris will kick off their holiday tour with a local concert. But tickets are going fast, so check out the Orpheum’s website soon to secure your seat.

The musical duo “Little Red Birds” performs Friday, Dec. 8 at The Orpheum after the city’s Lighting of the Greens and Christmas parade.  Sip hot cocoa cocktails as you enjoy the music. Main Street will be open for a variety of activities – think inflatables, food trucks, vendors, live music – beginning at 4 p.m. on the 8th, followed by the Lighting of the Greens at 6:45 p.m. and then the parade at 7 p.m.

The next day, Saturday, Dec. 9, come back to downtown Oxford for “Jingle and Mingle.” Downtown merchants will be open for shoppers and browsers alike during normal business hours.

The flurry of activities begin this weekend across Granville County, including a tree-lighting ceremony Friday at 7 p.m. in Creedmoor and then one town over – Butner – beginning at 5:30 p.m. hosts its annual “Christmas in the Park.”

The next day, you can check out Creedmoor’s Christmas parade at 11 a.m. and then head over to Central Avenue in Butner to catch that town’s Christmas parade that begins at 2 p.m.

The Orpheum transforms from concert venue on Saturday to holiday gala on Sunday evening. Purchase tickets ($100 each) online at The Orpheum or stop by The Hub on Main. It’s black tie-optional and includes a meal, beverages and live music.

Saturday and Sunday at HighRock Farms on 2317 Enon Rd. features a date with Santa – breakfast, in fact. Make reservations at

https://www.highrock-events.com/our-events/

The Stem Ruritan Club is hosting the Stem Jingle Jangle at the club on Highway 75 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Check out lots of local vendors and visit with Santa.

The Barn at Vino in Stem will host Cocoa with Santa on Sunday, Dec. 3 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. There will be vendors, food trucks and more on site. Reserve a photo session with Santa for $20 per child ($5 for each additional child) on Eventbrite or on The Barn at Vino’s Facebook page.

Carlee Farm in Stem will host its holiday marketplace again this year on Saturday, Dec. 9 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Stop in for shopping and find plenty of local vendors on hand. Carlee Farm is located at 1003 Carlee Farm Rd.

If you need to take a break from the commercial side of the Christmas holiday, pack the kids in the car and go “Back to Bethlehem,” courtesy of Delrayno Baptist Church in Oxford. The drive-thru Nativity is a favorite event that recreates Bethlehem across a variety of scenes that are set up in the church parking lot and drive. The drive-thru Nativity will be held Dec. 9, 10 and 11 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. There is no charge for admission, but donations are accepted.

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VGCC Community Band Presents Holiday Concert Dec. 11 At McGregor Hall

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-information courtesy of VGCC Public Information Officer Courtney Cissel

 

On Monday, December 11, the VGCC Community Band will present its annual Holiday Concert at McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center in downtown Henderson. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. and will last approximately one hour. There is no charge for admission.

 

The public is invited to this performance, which will feature a variety of seasonal music and non-holiday favorites. Selections will include patriotic music, a medley influenced by the popular sea shanty genre, and holiday songs ranging from “Mary, Did You Know?” to “Santa at the Symphony.”

 

“I always see the VGCC Community Band concert as the start of my holidays,” said Betsy Henderson, department chair of Fine Arts and Humanities for Vance-Granville Community College. “It’s a great tradition for the whole family! You’ll be entertained with some classic holiday music, and your spirits will be lifted.”

Directed by Brian D. Miller of Louisburg, the VGCC Community Band is comprised of both VGCC students and non-student adult community members. Band members have a wide range of abilities and experience and come from the college’s four-county service area and beyond; some members are from Virginia. Contact Director Miller at bmiller9302@vgcc.edu to learn more about the band program.

 

 

Celebrate Christmas Bluegrass-Style At Sunday Concert At Clearview Church

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Join Jimmy and the Sound Barriers this Sunday at Clearview Church for a special holiday performance, Bluegrass style.

“Christmas Time’s A-Comin’” will begin at 6 p.m. at Clearview Church, 3485 Hwy .158 Business in Henderson.

The event is free and open to the public. A love offering will be taken to benefit Anchor of Hope, a women’s ministry whose mission is to provide for those in need with gifts of gas cards, food and blankets.

“Their mission is to make Christ visible to all, and to let them know they are not alone in the storms of life,” Barrier stated. The group donates blankets to children and to the sick as a reminder that they are being covered with the grace and love of God.

SportsTalk: Adcock Reflects On First Season With Mariners

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Ty Adcock never imagined himself as a pitcher.  At South Granville he threw a couple of innings for fun but pitching never really interested him.  He was a catcher and an outfielder.  It wasn’t until his junior year at Elon that a coach noticed his arm strength and felt his talents were better suited on the mound.

In June of last year after a minor league game Adcock got the call to head for Seattle where he would throw his first pitch in the Major Leagues.  “It was a bizarre experience,” Adcock said of receiving the call.  Adcock was a guest on Wednesday’s SportsTalk. “I knew I had what it takes to play in the big leagues,” Adcock continued.  “It doesn’t feel real.  It was everything you dream of as a kid,” Adcock explained about his first game in a Mariners uniform.

He doesn’t remember the name of the first batter he faced from the Miami Marlins but does remember the batter grounded out on the first pitch.  He threw for two innings in that game as a member of the Mariners’ bull pen.

Now that his first season is under his belt he is busy preparing for spring.  He will head to spring training in late January and hopes to be one of the eight pitchers the Mariners keep in their bull pen when the 2024 season starts.  “It’s up to management to see if they feel I’m a good fit for the organization,” Adcock concluded.

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Home And Garden Show

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

  • Compost your leaves this year! DO NOT BURN LEAVES
  • Inspect shade trees now that leaves have fallen.
  • Select NC Christmas Trees!
  • Monitor soil moisture on any fall planted trees/shrubs
  • Use greenery from your landscape when decorating this year.
  • Include NC products in your holiday celebrations.
  • Bring soil samples to Cooperative Extension TODAY
  • Consider getting mowers serviced now.
  • Consider Gardening books or garden tools for Gardeners on your Gift list.
  • Consider how your landscape looks through the winter.
  • Keep leaves off newly planted grass
  • Check mower height on lawn mowers and replace blades.

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TownTalk: Commissioners Debate Medical Co-Pay For Detainees

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The Vance County Board of Commissioners is considering putting a health copay in place for individuals detained in the Vance County Detention Center.

Finance Director Katherine Bigelow shared information with commissioners during their Monday, Nov. 20 work session.

Board Chair Yolanda Feimster sent the matter to the Public Safety Committee for further discussion and to work through details about how such a policy would work.

Commissioner Dan Brummitt was the sole member of the Public Safety Committee present at the work session; commissioners Sean Alston and Carolyn Faines were not present for the meeting.

Bigelow said she had spoken with officials in more than 25 counties as part of her research; “we are the only ones that do not do this,” she told commissioners.

Bigelow and County Manager Renee Perry said it would help curb costs for detainees who may make unnecessary trips to the health care provider – racking up a hefty fee for the county each time.

This would encourage inmates to take responsibility of their own health care, they noted. The basic idea is that the inmate may decide to lie down and rest instead of going to the infirmary to get pills for a headache, Perry said.

If the health care provider determines that the visit was not a medical necessity, the individual would be charged a copay; $20 is the allowable limit that can be charged.

“We will not make money on this by any means,” Bigelow noted, adding that $395,000 of the $550,000 budgeted for health care at the jail has already been spent.

In a follow-up statement to WIZS News, Perry said the jail is on track to have an overage of as much as $1 million by the end of fiscal year 2024 if no measures are taken to curb the spending.

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The Local Skinny! Maria Parham Health Receives Medicaid Expansion Funds

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Maria Parham Health joins more than 100 hospitals in the state’s 70 rural counties to share close to $2.6 billion federal funds that will be used to provide support as the state rolls out Medicaid expansion.

Friday, Dec. 1 marks the start date for NC DHHS to launch the Medicaid expansion across North Carolina, meaning an estimated 600,000 people will be eligible for full Medicaid coverage. Almost 300,000 people currently with limited Medicaid family planning benefits will automatically be enrolled.

In a statement to WIZS News, MPH Public Information Officer Donna Young said “Maria Parham Health is proud to join hospitals and health systems statewide in celebrating the launch of Medicaid expansion.” The Healthcare Access and Stabilization Program (HASP) funds enable hospitals to pay for the non-federal share costs of Medicaid expansion efforts, and will “strengthen the state’s healthcare delivery network and ensure greater access to healthcare, especially for those residing here in Vance County,” Young stated.

“These payments to hospitals are a lifeline and critical as we work to strengthen rural hospitals and health systems in North Carolina,” said NC HHS Secretary Kody H. Kinsley. “The money will ensure people covered by Medicaid and Medicaid expansion have access to comprehensive physical and behavioral health care services in the communities they live in.”

Gov. Roy Cooper called Medicaid expansion “a monumental achievement that will save lives and provide better health care while sending billions to our economy.” “We’re beginning to see the real-life impacts of this extraordinary win for North Carolinians through these first payments to our rural hospitals that have been struggling for years to keep their doors open,” Cooper stated.

Medicaid expansion and HASP will be financed through new assessments on North Carolina hospitals and will allow the state to draw down more than $8 billion each year from the federal government based on expected ultimate expansion enrollment. This will have a historic impact on individuals across the state, including the more than 4.6 million people living in one of the 70 rural counties across North Carolina.

The HASP payments are calculated based on in-network Medicaid managed care payments to acute care hospitals, critical access hospitals, hospitals owned or controlled by the University of North Carolina Health Care System and ECU Health Medical Center.

To learn more about Medicaid enrollment and eligibility, call the MPH helpline at 252.923.3747 or visit www.mariaparham.com/medicaid.

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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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