Vance County Schools is looking at where to spend the more than $841,000 awarded to the school district as part of a statewide School Safety grant.
Rey Horner, VCS executive director of student services, said the money can be used for basic safety equipment like metal detectors, but also to implement training programs for students and to hire more resource officers.
The total amount of the grant is $841,270, Horner said in an interview that aired on TownTalk Tuesday.
The district’s secondary schools have metal detectors and also have designated SROs on campus, Horner said, but the hope is to put SROs at the elementary schools, too. There is currently one vacant SRO position, but Horner said Sheriff Curtis Brame agreed to provide one of his officers until the school district can hire a replacement.
“The goal is to provide an SRO at all of our schools,” Horner said, but he added it has been challenging so far to find qualified applicants. The grant money can be used for SROs, and Horner said the district has allocated $400,000 for additional SROs.
In light of the challenge of hiring SROs, Horner said the district has asked the Center for Safer Schools if it can use that money designated for SROs on other types of safety equipment.
“We’ve put in a request to reallocate (money) for cameras, 911 beepers – anything that can make our schools safer and more efficient,” Horner said.
There’s a plan to place additional metal detectors at the high school, and to gradually phase them in at elementary schools, he added, so students will be used to them and not feel threatened by them when they move to the middle school.
Protecting the physical safety of students and staff is of critical importance, and metal detectors are one way to filter dangerous items from being brought onto school campuses.
But medical safety also is a concern for school leaders. The schools already have automatic external defibrillators – or AEDs – but the goal is to place more than one at each campus.
In addition to equipment, Horner said the district is taking preventative measures to try to reduce students experiencing crises.
“A lot of the things that we’re seeing are coming from the outside to the inside of the school,” Horner explained. One program – Project ARROW – helps build students’ self-esteem and coping skills to deal with such issues as bullying and negative effects of social media.
Horner said Project ARROW is akin to life coaching for students, who, upon completion of the training, can render the same training to their peers.
Vance County Schools was one of 200 school districts and charter schools across the state that received part of the $74 million grant money.
Horner said the district is working hard to make sure the money is spent according to state guidelines. “With all things dealing with money, you have to be very particular,” he said. “We want to make sure it impacts the kids on the largest scale.”
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Warren Parks and Rec Offers Holiday Kids Crafts Program At Library
/by WIZS StaffWarren County Parks and Recreation is offering a Holiday Kids Crafts program for ages 5-12. This program will be held at the Warren County Memorial Library on Tuesdays from 6 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. beginning Feb. 7 through Feb. 21. This program will provide instruction and all supplies to make 2-3 crafts per week. Register by Feb. 3 cost is $5 per child for the three-week session. Limited space is available, so register early.
Registration can be completed online or in person:
For more information or register, please visit the county website or call the Parks and Recreation office at 252.257.2272.
Parks and Recreation is seeking have volunteers for this and other programs. Submit volunteer application and background check online at www.warrencountync.com/345/Parks-Recreation
Granville County SHIIP
/by WIZS StaffGranville County Senior Services provides assistance to local seniors during the annual federal Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Open Enrollment period. In 2022, Granville’s certified Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) staff helped 645 seniors explore their options and enroll in the plan that would best meet their needs. This enrollment assistance program helped Granville County seniors save a total of $264,312 on their prescription drug costs. Granville’s SHIIP counselors work with seniors to ensure that they are enrolled in a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan that best meets their needs and will provide medications at the best price.
“The best Medicare Prescription Drug Plan for each individual can change from year to year,” according to Granville County Senior Services Director Kathy May. “Our counselors spend months researching the differences in each plan utilizing an online tool released by the federal Medicare Office. We know that plan changes can be stressful and overwhelming for Medicare enrollees, so we are glad that we can offer the peace of mind for our seniors that there are trusted and qualified counselors at their local senior centers ready and willing to help.”
Granville County has offered SHIIP counseling services at the Granville County Senior Center in Oxford for many years and was able to expand services to the South Granville Senior Center in Creedmoor in 2022. During the seven-week open enrollment period, 562 seniors were served at appointments at the Oxford Senior Center and 83 seniors received the same service at the South Granville location in Creedmoor. The North Carolina Department of Insurance oversees the SHIIP certification program, a rigorous course with quarterly trainings required to maintain credentials. Currently, Granville County Senior Services has seven SHIIP counselors on-staff: Jill Floyd, Judy Gray, Marilyn Howard, Carolyn Keith, Kathy May, Teresa Rowland, and Christy Southall.
The Medicare Part D Open Enrollment window will once again run from October 15 through December 7, 2023. Enrollment assistance from qualified SHIIP counselors will be offered at the Granville County Senior Center in Oxford and the South Granville Senior Center in Creedmoor. Granville seniors will be invited to make appointments for counseling and enrollment assistance in late summer or early fall.
For more information about SHIIP counseling or other services and programs offered by Granville County Senior Services, visit https://www.granvillecounty.org/residents/senior-services or call 919.693.1930.
Public Invited To Community Info Session Feb. 14 At Baskerville Funeral Home Chapel
/by WIZS StaffThe chapel of Baskerville Funeral Home, LLC is the site of an upcoming community information session, during which a variety of topics of interest to local residents will be discussed.
The info session will begin at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 14.
The public is invited to attend, and topics for discussion include gang activity, COVID updates, at-risk youth, food insecurity, social and emotional learning and community health workers, according to information received at WIZS.
The funeral home is located at 104 S. Chestnut St. in Henderson.
Warren Parks And Rec Offers Lifeguard Training Program
/by WIZS StaffWarren County Parks and Recreation is offering a training program on Tuesdays beginning in February to prepare applicants for the lifeguard certification course. This free program will provide transportation for instruction and practice. Upon completion of the training, which runs from Feb. 7 through Mar. 28,those who can pass the prerequisites will have the option to sign up for the lifeguard certification course free of charge. The program is open to individuals 15 years and up.
Register online for the academy and choose one of the options below:
Register by Jan. 31 either online or in person:
For more information or to register, please visit the website or call the office at 252.257.2272.
Parks and Recreation welcomes volunteers for this and other programs. Please submit volunteer application and background check online at www.warrencountync.com/345/Parks-Recreation.
Need New Scrubs? Visit MPH Work Choice Uniform Sale Feb. 2, Feb. 3
/by WIZS StaffMaria Parham Health’s volunteer services department is sponsoring a uniform sale later this week, and available for purchase is a wide range of name brand gear, from scrubs and lab jackets to medical arm sleeves and ID badge holders.
The Work Choice Uniforms event will be Thursday, Feb. 2 and Friday, Feb. 3 in the John T. Church classroom on the hospital campus, said Lisa Radford, volunteer services coordinator.
Come and shop for nurse shoes, t-shirts, surgical caps, compression socks and more, she said. In addition, medical equipment like blood pressure cuffs, thermometers, pulse oximeters and stethoscopes also will be available for purchase.
There will be men’s, women’s and unisex clothing from size XXS to 5XL, and from petite to tall sizes.
The sale Thursday will run from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Friday’s sale is from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The event is sponsored by Maria Parham Health Volunteer Services.
TownTalk:Vance Schools Hope To Add SRO Positions Using Part Of $841K School Safety Grant
/by Laura GabelVance County Schools is looking at where to spend the more than $841,000 awarded to the school district as part of a statewide School Safety grant.
Rey Horner, VCS executive director of student services, said the money can be used for basic safety equipment like metal detectors, but also to implement training programs for students and to hire more resource officers.
The total amount of the grant is $841,270, Horner said in an interview that aired on TownTalk Tuesday.
The district’s secondary schools have metal detectors and also have designated SROs on campus, Horner said, but the hope is to put SROs at the elementary schools, too. There is currently one vacant SRO position, but Horner said Sheriff Curtis Brame agreed to provide one of his officers until the school district can hire a replacement.
“The goal is to provide an SRO at all of our schools,” Horner said, but he added it has been challenging so far to find qualified applicants. The grant money can be used for SROs, and Horner said the district has allocated $400,000 for additional SROs.
In light of the challenge of hiring SROs, Horner said the district has asked the Center for Safer Schools if it can use that money designated for SROs on other types of safety equipment.
“We’ve put in a request to reallocate (money) for cameras, 911 beepers – anything that can make our schools safer and more efficient,” Horner said.
There’s a plan to place additional metal detectors at the high school, and to gradually phase them in at elementary schools, he added, so students will be used to them and not feel threatened by them when they move to the middle school.
Protecting the physical safety of students and staff is of critical importance, and metal detectors are one way to filter dangerous items from being brought onto school campuses.
But medical safety also is a concern for school leaders. The schools already have automatic external defibrillators – or AEDs – but the goal is to place more than one at each campus.
In addition to equipment, Horner said the district is taking preventative measures to try to reduce students experiencing crises.
“A lot of the things that we’re seeing are coming from the outside to the inside of the school,” Horner explained. One program – Project ARROW – helps build students’ self-esteem and coping skills to deal with such issues as bullying and negative effects of social media.
Horner said Project ARROW is akin to life coaching for students, who, upon completion of the training, can render the same training to their peers.
Vance County Schools was one of 200 school districts and charter schools across the state that received part of the $74 million grant money.
Horner said the district is working hard to make sure the money is spent according to state guidelines. “With all things dealing with money, you have to be very particular,” he said. “We want to make sure it impacts the kids on the largest scale.”
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TownTalk: More Thoughts On Steve Cordell
/by Bill HarrisCity of Henderson Fire Chief Steve Cordell is remembered.
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WIZS Radio Local News Audio 01-31-23 Noon
/by Bill HarrisClick Play to Listen. On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
The Local Skinny!
/by WIZS StaffThe van fleet at Rebuilding Hope, Inc. has doubled, thanks to a recent donation by Island Creek Baptist Church.
Randolph Wilson, coordinator of the non-profit, located in the former Coca-Cola Bottling Co. location, said the 15-passenger van will be especially helpful when it’s time to take volunteers to various project sites during the summertime Servants on Site mission.
West End Baptist Church had made a similar donation earlier, Wilson noted in the group’s monthly newsletter.
RHI relies on volunteers and donations from the community and beyond to help achieve their mission of helping area homeowners repair – free of charge – roofs and install wheelchair ramps, keeping them safe and able to remain in their homes.
Early Bird registration ends tomorrow for the annual Servants on Site project, scheduled for June 19-23. The reduced cost is $125; after tomorrow, the cost is $150.
The fee includes a specially designed t-shirt, as well as all meals and lodging. Scholarships are available. SOS is a weeklong project that includes work, worship and witness – in Vance and surrounding counties. Young people who have completed 6th grade through adults may participate.
To learn more about SOS and other ways to=participate in Rebuilding Hope programsand projects, visit www.rebuildinghopeinc.org.
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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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