The Local Skinny! COVID-19 Update

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Although daily updates about COVID-19 transmission rates, sickness and deaths have evolved to weekly and now monthly updates, Granville-Vance Health Director Lisa Harrison’s updates have become regular reminders that although vaccines have reduced the threat of severe illness and worse in the community, the transmission rate in Vance County remains high.

In the latest update, Harrison is quick to point out that health professionals are still dealing with COVID-19 and its repercussions, despite the fact that so much of society has opted for a return to almost normal life.

“Although there is some confusion in the news lately about whether we are still in a pandemic or not, the World Health Organization is the entity that gets to declare when the pandemic is over,” Harrison wrote. In the U.S. and in North Carolina, she added, health officials are more confident in their ability to effectively fight COVID-19.

But we’re entering that time of year where folks are rolling up their sleeves for the seasonal flu shot. Harrison said it’s important to consider getting a COVID-19 booster as well.

“An updated COVID-19 booster is now available for people 12 and older, two months after they finish their primary series, and/or two months after illness from COVID-19. It offers the most up-to-date protection against the latest Omicron variants. Omicron is the most common form of COVID-19 in circulation so this new booster identifies variants related to Omicron,” Harrison stated in the weekly update.

Click Stay up-to-date to learn more.

Whether it’s COVID-19, or the flu, or just the common cold, Harrison said it bears repeating a few simple actions that can reduce spread of any virus germs:

 

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Avoid close contact such as kissing, hugging, and sharing cups or eating utensils with people who are sick, and when you are sick.
  • Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your upper shirt sleeve, not your hands.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, such as toys and doorknobs, especially if someone is sick.
  • Consider wearing a mask around other people if you have respiratory symptoms.
  • Contact a healthcare provider immediately if you or your child has trouble breathing or has a sudden onset of limb weakness.
  • Ensure you or your child are following an up-to-date asthma action plan if you or your child have asthma.
  • Stay home when you are sick. Let me say that again: Stay home when you are sick.  One more time for those in the back: Stay home when you are sick.

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Butner Inmate Gets 20 Months For 2020 Escape Attempt

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-information courtesy of the office of U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of NC

A federal inmate has been sentenced to 30 months for attempting to escape from the Federal Correctional Institution in Butner back in 2020.

According to court documents, Charles Asher, 62, an inmate at FCI Butner at the time of the offense, was found hiding in the bushes – and not in his designated housing unit, as required – on the compound at about 9 p.m. on Sept. 14, 2020, near the exit door of the institution.

“Asher was found with multiple unauthorized items that could be used to effectuate an escape, including: a homemade rope approximately 14 feet in length, gray gloves, a blue mattress cover, and a homemade cardboard replica handgun wrapped with black electrical tape,” according to a press statement from the office of Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

Asher had pleaded guilty in June 2022 to the sole count of attempted escape from prison and U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle sentenced Asher.

TownTalk: Tyler Fleming’s Junior Shadowing Project

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Whether you know Tyler Fleming from school, swim meets, or First United Methodist Church, one thing’s for certain: The 17-year-old certainly is a wonderful ambassador for an age group that sometimes gets a bad rap.

Tyler, a junior at Kerr-Vance Academy, is smack in the middle of a three-day program called “junior shadowing,” which pairs students with different businesses in the community so they can learn a little bit of what goes on behind the scenes.

Wednesday was Tyler’s first day right here at WIZS, and today, on Day 2, he found himself in front of the microphone on TownTalk. He and John C. Rose talked about high schoolers’ busy schedules, his sports interests and the perks of attending a small school and living in a small community.

Whether it was watching car races and imitating the commentators as a 6-year-old or helping his church create videos during the COVID-19 pandemic, media and communications have held Tyler’s interest for much of his life. And when it came time for him to choose where he wanted to do his junior shadowing, he chose WIZS because “it’s a place where I could explore the world of radio and communications through digital media.”

There are just more than a dozen students in KVA’s junior class, and Tyler said “the goal is that each and every person in the class will do the shadowing.” The community agencies that partner with the junior shadowing project have been very receptive to having high school students come and see how their businesses operate.

“You can get out in the community (in a spot) where you have an interest and you can try things,” he said. “Being able to get somewhere (that) you can at least try it out – that directs us toward our future.”

The junior shadowing program gives students a chance to learn about something new, but it also can help them discern whether their interest in a particular field is something they wish to pursue.

As for Tyler’s experience, he said being a part of a small station has given him a chance for some hands-on learning from seasoned staff. He said time “to learn the small things” that keep a radio station like WIZS on the air – “like planning ahead and thinking about what you’ll be doing over the next few days…planning and dedication -it’s been really nice to have those insights,” Tyler noted.

Planning ahead and dedication are valuable commodities in everyday life as well, he observed. And he no doubt has to call both into play as he balances his academics with extracurriculars. He recently joined the KV cross country team as a way to cross-train for swimming, which he said he took up when he was about 7.

“It’s been a great sport not only to stay physically active, but leading me to other things like lifeguarding,” Tyler said. Swimming competitively keeps him aware of the other swimmers’ capabilities and keeps him hungry to be his best.

Listen to the complete interview at wizs.com

 

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Register For SBA Webinar Friday At 2 PM To Learn Funding Options For Small Businesses

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The U.S. Small Business Administration is hosting a webinar Friday afternoon to discuss funding options that are available to small businesses, including new and existing resources to contend with inflation.

The webinar is part of “The Bottom Line” series, hosted by the SBA and Small Business Majority

Register here for the webinar, which begins at 2 p.m.

“Understanding how to deal with the impact of inflation as a result of the pandemic and other global factors, and knowing where to look for an navigate available resources to tackle it can sometimes be daunting,” according to information from the USBA. Speakers during tomorrow’s webinar include USBA Senior Advisor, Office of Capital Access Veronica Pugin; Gary Cunningham, president and CEO, Prosperity Now, Stephanie DeVane, vice president of the National Urban League’s entrepreneurship & business development and Mark Madrid, USBA associate administrator, Office of Entrepreneurial Development.

Click this link to register: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Wur853uISLmA7Oh-Lfm3Pw?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Cooperative Extension With Jamon Glover: Sharing, Pt. 1

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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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Little Ducks Raise Big Bucks

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It’s always fun when the weather is right, people are excited, ultimately kids benefit and somebody wins something.

That’s what happened this past Saturday at the Duck Derby in downtown Henderson, and Garry Daeke, development coordinator with Franklin Granville Vance Smart Start sounded nothing but pleased when WIZS caught up with him late Monday afternoon by phone.

“It went great. We had a beautiful stay. We had a good steady crowd all day. When we did the race itself, we lined the sidewalks almost all the way down. I guess we got a 150 people out there I think. It was very nice,” he said.

And while it was about fun, games, education and getting out in one’s own downtown, the bigger purpose that’s often right there too is money.

Daeke said, “We had sold 1,779 tickets pre. And we sold about 200, I think (at the event). So right at 2,000 duck tickets sold. We’ll get the final numbers after we back out the expenses. With the ticket sales and sponsors, I think we’ll do about $10,000 net.”

He said the winners came from a smattering of locations across the three county area including the $1,000 winner having purchased the ticket at the event. Winners not present were notified by phone Monday.

Home And Garden Show

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

  • Vegetables to plant now Chinese cabbage, Garlic, bulb onions, spinach
  • Plant tall fescue NOW. Discussion about choosing grass seed.
  • Any vegetables growing now still needs 1 inch of rain or irrigation
  • Consider adding late-season pollinator forage to your garden.
  • If renovating your lawn make sure you pack the seed into the soil. Good seed to soil contact is a must for good seed germination.
  • Avoid pruning. Wait until late November at the earliest.
  • Soil Test season is now! 1 week analysis time
  • Divide perennials to spread and reinvigorate them.

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Recap: Duke Blue Devils Annihilate Aggies to Extend Win Streak

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— text and picture by Patrick Magoon freelance writer for WIZS

Building on two high-scoring wins, the Duke Blue Devils amplified their momentum during Saturday’s exciting victory against North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State’s Aggies.

There was no shortage of fans cheering on the Blue Devils during their second home game of the season. For the first time since 2019, Duke University’s Wallace Wade Stadium hosted over 32,000 fans. The fans’ electrifying energy, echoing across the stadium, overwhelmed the Aggies.

The Devils’ offense, led by quarterback Riley Leonard, started hot, executing a 38-yard passing touchdown in fifteen seconds. Stunned and overpowered by Duke’s potent offense, the Aggies allowed two additional scores in the first quarter. Leonard completed 11 of his 12 pass attempts before the conclusion of the first half and finished the game with an impressive 98.9 QBR rating.

After achieving a comfortable lead, Leonard exited the field to provide an opportunity for other offensive assets to showcase their abilities and allow Duke’s ground game to take charge. Backup quarterback Henry Belin IV finished 5-for-6 for 43 yards, and running backs Jaquez Moore, Jordan Waters, and Eric Weatherly collectively rushed for 122 yards on 16 attempts.

On defense, Duke’s starters were nothing short of exceptional. Right out of the gate, the pressure from the Blue Devils’ front seven was immense. After Duke’s second scoring drive, defensive tackle Aeneas Peebles broke through the Aggies’ offensive line, took down quarterback Jalen Fowler, and knocked the ball loose. Defensive tackle DeWayne Carter, who was in the right place at the right time, scooped up the fumble and ran it down the field for a touchdown. That touchdown extended Duke’s lead to 21 in the first nine minutes into the game.

Duke’s defense acquired 75 tackles (11 for a loss), four sacks, and deflected two passes. Linebacker Nick Morris Jr. led the team in tackles, and Jaylen Stinson, Brandon Johnson, Cam Dillon, and Peebles earned a sack.

What’s next?

Duke (3-0) will travel to Kansas for a matchup against the Jayhawks (3-0). Both teams are operating under a new head coach, and their rebuilding efforts are moving in the right direction.

Fresh off of a 48-30 win against Houston, the Jayhawks are eager to test the limits of Duke’s potential. Considering Kansas is averaging 53 ppg, their offense poses a real threat.

Perry Memorial Library

TownTalk: Green Book Series Coming To Perry Memorial Library

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— courtesy of Perry Memorial Library

Click to Listen — TownTalk: Green Book Series Coming To Perry Memorial Library

The Perry Memorial Library will host a Community series that includes authors, Calvin Ramsey, Candacy Taylor, and Gretchen Sorin. The series will focus on the Green Book. The Negro Motorist Green Book was a guidebook for African American travelers that provided a list of hotels, boarding houses, taverns, restaurants, service stations and other establishments throughout the country that served African Americans. It was an annual guidebook that originated and was published by African-American New York City mailman, Victor Hugo Green from 1936 to 1966, during the era of Jim Crow laws.

On Monday, September 26th at 4 PM and 7 PM, author Calvin Ramsey will join us in person for a book discussion of his 2010 children’s book, Ruth and the Green Book. The story follows a young girl named Ruth who travels with her family from Chicago to Alabama to visit her grandmother. She learns of the Green Book which with its guidance and the kindness of strangers helps her family safely navigate travel during the Jim Crow era. Ramsey was born in Baltimore, Maryland and grew up in Roxboro, North Carolina. He is a playwright, photographer, and folk art painter. He is a former Advisory Board Member of the Robert Woodruff Library Special Collections at Emory University in Atlanta. He is also a recipient of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Drum Major for Justice Award.

Candacy Taylor will join us virtually on Tuesday, September 27th at 4 PM in the library board room to discuss her book, Overground Railroad: The Green Book and the Roots of Black Travel in America. The library has the adult version as well as the Young Adult adaptation available to readers to sign out. This book is a historical exploration of the Green Book and black travel with Jim Crow America across four decades. Taylor is an award-winning author, photographer and cultural documentarian working on a multidisciplinary project based on the Green Book. She is also the curator and content specialist for an exhibition that is currently touring by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES). Taylor was a fellow at the Hutchins Center at Harvard University under the direction of Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. and her projects have been commissioned and funded by numerous organizations including, The Library of Congress, National Geographic, The American Council of Learned Societies, The National Endowment for the Humanities, The National Park Service, and The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

To conclude, our community read series, we will be joined virtually by Gretchen Sorin on Monday, October 3rd at 6 PM in the library board room. Sorin will discuss her book, Driving While Black: African American Travel and the Road to Civil Rights. Driving While Black charts how the automobile fundamentally reshaped African American life, and opens up an entirely new view onto one of the most important issues of our time. Sorin also co-created the PBS documentary, Driving While Black with Emmy-winning director, Ric Burns.

Gretchen Sorin is distinguished professor and director of the Cooperstown Graduate Program of the State University of New York. She has curated innumerable exhibits―including with the Smithsonian, the Jewish Museum and the New York State Historical Association―and lives in upstate New York.

This community read series is funded by the American Rescue Plan: Humanities Grants for Libraries; an initiative of the American Library Association (ALA) made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

The library has 25 copies of each author’s book to sign out at the circulation desk. “We are thrilled to be working with these three distinguished authors to discuss the significance of the green book” said Assistant Director, Christy Bondy. Henderson has three green book locations that have been identified. A zoom link will be provided prior to the virtual programs for those who cannot come to the library.

The library is located at 205 Breckenridge Street. For more information, call the library at 252-438-3316 or visit the website at www.perrylibrary.org.

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