The men’s emergency shelter will open for the season in just over a month, but if Delthine Watson has anything to say about it, it will be the last time that the shelter will be open only in the fall and winter months.
“People need a place to go…away from the elements,” Watson told WIZS’s Bill Harris on Thursday’s TownTalk. The weather is something we have no control over, so whether the shelter can provide relief from the harsh winter cold or the relentless summer heat, that’s what she wants to do.
“(Homelessness) is not a seasonal problem,” she said, “we’re just a seasonal shelter – at this point. But we are working on that.”
Watson, community network specialist for Community Partners of Hope, said plans to upfit the former City Road Methodist Church to become the permanent 12-month location for the men’s shelter is taking shape.
Once all the paperwork is signed – and the money raised to make the necessary renovations to transform the church property – Watson said they’d be able to accommodate more men.
“At City Road, we might be able to prepare meals and give the men a place to not just sleep,” she said, but also a place to socialize with others and make connections with other people.
CPOH is working hard to raise the money to fulfill the vision that’s been in the making for the past 15 years – this is the 16th year of operation for the men’s shelter.
This is the only men’s shelter in the four-county area, but Watson said they get calls from Durham and Wake counties and even from Virginia.
It’s hard to say just how many homeless people are in Vance County and beyond, but Watson said this about the problem: “When we are open, we are almost filled to capacity.”
“We have a lot of displaced people who have nowhere to go,” she said.
She said the shelter is a “beacon of light” to people who have nothing. “If you come to the shelter, we give you clean clothes, and a meal and we give you hope.”
The shelter opens its doors at 5:30 each afternoon, but staff doesn’t always know how many men will enter. They try to have various sizes of clothing on hand and Watson said they have a special need for pajama bottoms and underwear.
They’ve got a lot of socks, but she said she would never turn away a donation from the community.
We are Community Partners of Hope, she said, emphasis on community.
There are opportunities for individuals and groups to support and contribute to the shelter, from signing up to provide a meal to making a monetary donation.
Visit www.cp-hope.org or follow them on Facebook to learn about all the ways to help
“Whatever it is you’re willing to do, we appreciate it,” Watson said. “We welcome whatever it is you want to do.”
Here’s how she looks at homelessness: “it’s not a goal you strive for, it’s something that happens to you. Showing a little kindness can go a long way.”
The shelter staff and the community that offers support lets the men know that they are loved and cared for, she said.
Watson can be reached at 252.767.0344.
Make checks payable to CP-OH Building Fund of CP-OH Operating Fund, P.O. Box 1791, Henderson, NC 27536.
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Local GOP Hosts Candidate Meetings
/by WIZS StaffThe Vance County Republican Party is hosting a series of meetings designed to hear from candidates in the upcoming nonpartisan municipal elections.
Jimmy Barrier, local GOP chair, told WIZS News Wednesday that the Ward 1 candidates will be the focus of the meeting on Thursday, Aug. 31. The meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. and will take place at Tony’s Automotive on Raleigh Road.
Mayoral candidates were invited to participate in the first meeting held Tuesday, Aug. 29, Barrier said. Candidates Sara Coffey and Greg Etheridge attended; Melissa Elliott and Jason Spriggs did not participate.
Barrier said the meetings are a chance to learn about the candidates and their platforms.
“We’ve invited them to come to us,” Barrier said, “to speak to us and tell us why we should vote for them.”
The meetings are open to registered Republicans, Barrier said. “We want to be what’s best for Vance County and the city of Henderson,” he said, adding that the objective is to inform voters.
The candidates receive a list of questions in advance of the meetings, Barrier said, so nobody is caught off guard and can prepare their responses.
“We want…what’s best for Vance County and the city of Henderson,” he said.
“We’re not going to sit on the sidelines. We’re going to get in the game,” Barrier said.
Former Granville Street Library To Get A Historical Marker
/by WIZS StaffA new historical marker is set to be unveiled to designate the site of the former Granville Street Colored Library in Oxford.
The public is invited to attend the ceremony, which will take place Friday, Sept. 15 at 12 noon at 314 Granville St. Former U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield is scheduled to attend and give remarks during the ceremony, according to information from Granville County Public Information Officer Terry Hobgood.
The Granville Street Colored Library opened its doors to the African American community on June 12, 1942. Maude Warren Lassiter served as the library’s director for many years and she and the library hold a special place in the history of Oxford and Granville County. The Granville Street Colored Library received visits from numerous African American leaders throughout its history including poet and social activist Langston Hughes,
educator and President of Howard University Mordecai Johnson, and historian and longtime Duke University professor John Hope Franklin.
In 1965, the Granville County Library System integrated and added the Granville Street Library as a new branch. Helen Currin Amis served as branch manager until 1975 when the Granville Street branch closed and was merged with the Richard H. Thornton Library.
The historical marker was made possible by a partnership between the Granville County Library System Board of Trustees and First Baptist Church of Oxford. Funding for the marker came from the Granville County Library System Memorial Fund.
For more information about the event, contact the Thornton Branch Library at 919-693-1121.
SportsTalk: Vipers Look For Third Win Of The Season Against Orange
/by Bill HarrisLast Friday night the Vance County Vipers dismantled Roanoke Rapids 52-14. “I was surprised that Roanoke Rapids was not as competitive,” Vipers Head Coach Aaron Elliott said on Thursday’s SportsTalk. The Vipers eliminated many of the penalties that plagued the team in a win over Warren County in week one. That, along with a six touchdown performance from quarterback Javion Vines-Holder helped shut down Roanoke Rapids. “He is slowly getting better. He only lacks confidence,” Elliott said of his young quarterback.
With five touchdown passes and another on the ground Vines-Holder is a threat to run or pass. “We built our offense around a true running quarterback,” Coach Elliott added. “It opens up opportunities,” stated Elliott.
The Vipers will be looking for those opportunities as they take on Orange this Friday night at Viper Stadium. Orange is 1-1 on the year and is a team full of athletes Elliott said of this week’s opponent. Orange will throw a 3-3 Stack defense against the potent Viper offense and that is a style of defense the Vipers have not faced. “We’ve worked all week on how to block it and how to read it,” Elliott said.
The Vipers can move to 3-0 on the season with a win Friday night. Join Bill Harris and Doc Ayscue for the live play by play beginning immediately following the Joy Christian Center broadcast at 6:50pm here on WIZS for Vance County Friday Night Football.
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SportsTalk: Oxford Prep’s Challenging Schedule Could Pay Dividends Later
/by Bill HarrisIt takes a young team time to learn and Oxford Prep Athletic Director John Hammett hopes the school volleyball team’s challenging schedule to open the season will do exactly that. Oxford Prep opened with two losses against Wake Prep and East Wake. Both schools field strong volleyball programs. Those losses were followed by two close wins against Kerr Vance Academy.
Conference play opened with a loss against Roxboro community this week. “We hope the schedule will pay dividends later,” Hammett said of his young team on Thursday’s SportsTalk. “We just have to play through it,” Hammett continued.
On the soccer field Oxford Prep won against Kerr Vance Academy last week but lost to Granville Central. Hammett is also optimistic about the soccer program. “Our numbers are up,” Hammett stated. “We are taking small steps building our program,” Hammett added.
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TownTalk: Community Partners Of Hope To Open Men’s Shelter October 1
/by Laura GabelThe men’s emergency shelter will open for the season in just over a month, but if Delthine Watson has anything to say about it, it will be the last time that the shelter will be open only in the fall and winter months.
“People need a place to go…away from the elements,” Watson told WIZS’s Bill Harris on Thursday’s TownTalk. The weather is something we have no control over, so whether the shelter can provide relief from the harsh winter cold or the relentless summer heat, that’s what she wants to do.
“(Homelessness) is not a seasonal problem,” she said, “we’re just a seasonal shelter – at this point. But we are working on that.”
Watson, community network specialist for Community Partners of Hope, said plans to upfit the former City Road Methodist Church to become the permanent 12-month location for the men’s shelter is taking shape.
Once all the paperwork is signed – and the money raised to make the necessary renovations to transform the church property – Watson said they’d be able to accommodate more men.
“At City Road, we might be able to prepare meals and give the men a place to not just sleep,” she said, but also a place to socialize with others and make connections with other people.
CPOH is working hard to raise the money to fulfill the vision that’s been in the making for the past 15 years – this is the 16th year of operation for the men’s shelter.
This is the only men’s shelter in the four-county area, but Watson said they get calls from Durham and Wake counties and even from Virginia.
It’s hard to say just how many homeless people are in Vance County and beyond, but Watson said this about the problem: “When we are open, we are almost filled to capacity.”
“We have a lot of displaced people who have nowhere to go,” she said.
She said the shelter is a “beacon of light” to people who have nothing. “If you come to the shelter, we give you clean clothes, and a meal and we give you hope.”
The shelter opens its doors at 5:30 each afternoon, but staff doesn’t always know how many men will enter. They try to have various sizes of clothing on hand and Watson said they have a special need for pajama bottoms and underwear.
They’ve got a lot of socks, but she said she would never turn away a donation from the community.
We are Community Partners of Hope, she said, emphasis on community.
There are opportunities for individuals and groups to support and contribute to the shelter, from signing up to provide a meal to making a monetary donation.
Visit www.cp-hope.org or follow them on Facebook to learn about all the ways to help
“Whatever it is you’re willing to do, we appreciate it,” Watson said. “We welcome whatever it is you want to do.”
Here’s how she looks at homelessness: “it’s not a goal you strive for, it’s something that happens to you. Showing a little kindness can go a long way.”
The shelter staff and the community that offers support lets the men know that they are loved and cared for, she said.
Watson can be reached at 252.767.0344.
Make checks payable to CP-OH Building Fund of CP-OH Operating Fund, P.O. Box 1791, Henderson, NC 27536.
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WIZS Radio Local News Audio 08-31-23 Noon
/by Bill HarrisClick Play to Listen. On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
The Local Skinny! Henderson Fruit And Produce Expands To Warrenton
/by Laura GabelIt’s been a few years since Warrenton has had a grocery store, but Chris Fisher, owner of Henderson Fruit and Produce, is getting ready to change that – hopefully, by Saturday.
Stop by 140 S. Main St. in downtown Warrenton to check out Henderson Fruit and Produce of Warrenton.
People familiar with the Henderson location at 1215 Old Norlina Rd. may see some familiar items, Fisher said, but he described the Warrenton location as more of a butcher shop, deli and retail store and less of the bulk items that the Henderson store is known for.
Having two locations obviously means double the work, but Fisher is excited for the opportunity and said the fact that they’re only 10 or so miles apart makes it doable.
“I’ve got a great staff – they do most of the work,” he said on Thursday’s segment of The Local Skinny!
The new location has a prime spot in downtown Warrenton, and Fisher said customers can come in for fresh meats, produce, deli items and more.
Need to order for a special occasion? No problem. They can get pigs for pig pickin’s and keep ribeyes and tenderloins in stock. Most special orders are next-day deliveries, but if it’s a large order, it could take a couple of days.
Check out the weekend specials on their Facebook page, or give the Warrenton store a call at 252.879.0234.
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Cooperative Extension With Paul McKenzie: What Works in the Garden
/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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Vance County Sheriff’s Office Makes Drug Arrest
/by WIZS Staff-information courtesy of Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame
Members of the Vance County Sheriff’s Office made an arrest late last week after serving a search warrant at a home located on Raleigh Road.
Rufus Kenneth Williams, 51, was charged with one count of possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver cocaine and felonious possession of cocaine, according to a press statement issued Tuesday afternoon by Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame.
Brame stated that a search warrant was issued for 3777 Raleigh Rd. as part of an ongoing investigation into citizen complaints of illegal drug sales occurring at the residence.
Upon service of the warrant, and a brief foot pursuit of the suspect who was later taken into custody, members of the Vance County Sheriff’s Office located and seized cocaine and other assorted paraphernalia related to the sell, possession, and use of illegal narcotics.
Williams was given a $54,000 bond. He was scheduled to appear in court on Monday, Aug. 28
Local Man Faces Drug Charges Following Traffic Stop
/by WIZS Staff-information courtesy of Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame
A Henderson man faces drug charges following a traffic stop conducted by the Vance County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics unit in mid-August.
According to a press statement issued late Tuesday afternoon by Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame, a vehicle driven by Devon Rhodes was stopped and officers developed probable cause to search the vehicle’s interior.
During the search an amount of heroin, cocaine, cocaine base “crack” and marijuana was located and seized.
Rhodes was arrested and charged with one count each of possession with intent to sell and deliver heroin and cocaine, as well as a felony charge of maintaining a motor vehicle to transport a controlled substance. He also was charged with two misdemeanor charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana.
He was released after securing a bond set in the amount of $20,000.