What do hot peppers, pumpkins and live music have in common? They’re all going to be featured in festivals and events over the next couple of months in Granville County, and Tourism Director Angela Allen shared all the details on Tuesday’s TownTalk.
Main Street in downtown Oxford transforms into a music venue on Friday, Aug. 9. Soule and the Super Band will perform from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Bring a lawn chair, get comfy and enjoy the tunes.
A couple of weekends after that, music lovers can head over to the Armory at the corner of MLK Jr. Avenue and Spring Street for the inaugural Next Door Music Festival on Saturday, Aug. 17.
The festival will take place outside on the grounds of the Armory, Allen said. and will feature six bands performing from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Allen said the music festival gained traction after several local business people were tossing ideas around, and the next thing she knew, the idea became a reality. There will be more than a dozen vendors on site with collectibles, toys and games available on festival day. And, she explained, festival proceeds will go to a local charity.
It’s not too early to mark your calendars for Saturday, Sept. 21, either. That’s the day the annual Creedmoor Music Festival is scheduled to take over downtown Creedmoor, providing lots of music genres from gospel to country and everything in between.
And any time is a good time to visit Cedar Creek Gallery outside Creedmoor, Allen said. The gallery is open seven days a week, and on Aug. 23, visitors will get to see the gallery’s 2024 crop of glass pumpkins, created by local glassblowers. Lisa Oakley’ is set to unveil her limited-edition pumpkin that weekend, as well.
There will be glassblowing demonstrations going on outside, and hundreds of pumpkins ready for purchase in the front room of the gallery through Oct. 31.
Destinations like Cedar Creek Gallery have long drawn visitors from outside Granville County, and Allen said she is pleased to see a similar trend at other events that have taken root over the years throughout the county.
“Thirty or forty percent of the crowd may not even be from Granville County,” she said. She’s delighted to see more people that she doesn’t know at festivals, concerts or retail establishments because it means that more folks are coming from farther away.
Take the annual Hot Sauce Festival, for example.
“It’s the coolest thing that’s SO hot in Granville County,” Allen said. And this year, the festival will span two days – Friday, Sept. 6 and Saturday, Sept. 7. AND, Allen said, organizers have added a salsa category to the competition.
But that’s not the only new addition. The Friday events run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and will feature glow-in-the-dark putt-putt, vendors and music as a lead-in to the daylong Saturday activities – which this year will stretch from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Kids can enjoy a rock-climbing wall, carnival rides and games in the Fiery Fun Zone, she said.
Adventurous souls can sample all the pepper-inspired tastes, from craft beer to ice cream.
Allen won’t be participating in the popular pepper eating contest, “but I’m brave enough to watch it,” she quipped.
Hot sauce enthusiasts from all over show up for the festival, she said.
“This is the hot spot,” she said.
Visit www.visitgranvillenc.com to learn about all the upcoming events throughout the county.
(This is not a paid ad, but Granville Tourism does advertise on WIZS.com.)
Home And Garden Show
/by Bill HarrisOn the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.
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WIZS Radio Henderson Local News 07-31-24 Noon
/by Bill HarrisClick Play to Listen. On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
The Local Skinny! Vance County Schools New App Student Information System
/by WIZS StaffVance County Schools is among a group of public school districts and charter schools across the state in Phase 1 of a new student information system.
NC Student Information System – NC SIS – is coming on line over the next couple of years, and Vance County parents and students are among the first test drive the new system powered by Infinite Campus.
VCS Chief Officer of Communication & Innovative Support Aarika Sandlin and Chief Officer of Technology Marsha Abbott discussed the changeover and what it will entail on Tuesday’s segment of The Local Skinny!
Sandlin said families will no longer use the PowerSchool app, and should upload the Infinite Parent app available through the Apple Store or Google Play. Students, likewise, will download the Infinite Student app.
Abbott said each of the programs contains a wealth of tools for students and parents to use, from accessing attendance, to online assignments and grades, and more.
The new system will allow parents to enroll students online, eliminating the need to travel to the central office.
“Our goal is to make things as accessible as possible,” Sandlin said, “with no barriers.”
Parents still have the option of enrolling their child in person, but they will no longer be required to do so, if they have the app on their mobile device.
“We are not taking away any form of communication,” she added, “we’re simply adding ways.”
Abbott said the new system also allows for communication with teachers and parents, at any point during the year, can update information such as phone numbers and address to maintain the most updated information.
Visit the school’s Facebook page to find out more or visit https://www.vcs.k12.nc.us/ to learn about upcoming Open Houses for year-round schools and schools on the traditional calendar. Aug. 7 is the first day for year-round students; students in schools on traditional calendars return Aug. 26.
Find all three 2024-25 calendars at https://www.vcs.k12.nc.us/calendar
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Vance County Cooperative Extension: Dr. Wykia Macon July-August
/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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Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Yellowjackets
/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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One Arrest Made In July 27 Armed Robbery
/by WIZS StaffPRESS RELEASE —
On July 27, 2024 around 5:40 AM officers responded to an armed robbery that occurred at 800 Dabney Drive.
The incident occurred when a suspect approached the male victim who was parked in a van in the parking lot of Refuel convenience store.
The suspect, who brandished a firearm, made the victim enter the store and withdraw funds from the ATM machine.
The suspect then fled the scene in a vehicle identified as being a white Buick. The victim did not sustain any injuries during the incident.
Within a brief period of time, Henderson Police Department officers encountered Tre’ Shaun Hargrove, 27, of Henderson. Hargrove was identified and charged with Robbery with a Dangerous Weapon and Second-degree Kidnapping.
The firearm used during the incident was also recovered. Hargrove received no bond prior to his initial appearance and was remanded to the Vance County Detention facility.
— Marcus Barrow, Henderson Police Chief
Program At Farmers Market Matches Funds To Boost Purchasing Power
/by Laura GabelThe Vance County Regional Farmers Market is filled with fresh local produce on Wednesdays and Saturdays, just waiting to be scooped up and featured on dinner tables across the area.
The market has added a couple of programs that other markets across the state are using to help seniors and others stretch their dollars. The SunBucks and Senior Double Up Food Bucks programs are both ways to encourage eating healthy foods while supporting local farmers and the local economy, said Vance County Cooperative Extension Director Dr. Wykia Macon.
“It seemed like a natural fit because we accept EBT at the Farmers Market and now with Double Bucks, when someone uses their EBT card, we match EBT purchases dollar-for-dollar,” Macon told WIZS News.
Those who use SunBucks and Seniors Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) will have their dollars doubled, too, she said.
“It came about after seeing other markets doing the program and realizing that we should be offering the same to our community,” Macon said.
“Since this is our first time with the program, we will learn as we go. Right now, we are limiting the match to $20 per day, so someone could visit the market on Wednesday and Saturday to receive up to $40 Double Bucks per week while we are open on Wednesdays.”
Triangle North Healthcare Foundation offers a grant that provides the matching funds, which, although not unlimited, will allow for many residents to use the benefits before the end of the market season, Macon explained.
TownTalk: Music, Peppers, Pumpkins And More In Granville County
/by Laura GabelWhat do hot peppers, pumpkins and live music have in common? They’re all going to be featured in festivals and events over the next couple of months in Granville County, and Tourism Director Angela Allen shared all the details on Tuesday’s TownTalk.
Main Street in downtown Oxford transforms into a music venue on Friday, Aug. 9. Soule and the Super Band will perform from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Bring a lawn chair, get comfy and enjoy the tunes.
A couple of weekends after that, music lovers can head over to the Armory at the corner of MLK Jr. Avenue and Spring Street for the inaugural Next Door Music Festival on Saturday, Aug. 17.
The festival will take place outside on the grounds of the Armory, Allen said. and will feature six bands performing from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Allen said the music festival gained traction after several local business people were tossing ideas around, and the next thing she knew, the idea became a reality. There will be more than a dozen vendors on site with collectibles, toys and games available on festival day. And, she explained, festival proceeds will go to a local charity.
It’s not too early to mark your calendars for Saturday, Sept. 21, either. That’s the day the annual Creedmoor Music Festival is scheduled to take over downtown Creedmoor, providing lots of music genres from gospel to country and everything in between.
And any time is a good time to visit Cedar Creek Gallery outside Creedmoor, Allen said. The gallery is open seven days a week, and on Aug. 23, visitors will get to see the gallery’s 2024 crop of glass pumpkins, created by local glassblowers. Lisa Oakley’ is set to unveil her limited-edition pumpkin that weekend, as well.
There will be glassblowing demonstrations going on outside, and hundreds of pumpkins ready for purchase in the front room of the gallery through Oct. 31.
Destinations like Cedar Creek Gallery have long drawn visitors from outside Granville County, and Allen said she is pleased to see a similar trend at other events that have taken root over the years throughout the county.
“Thirty or forty percent of the crowd may not even be from Granville County,” she said. She’s delighted to see more people that she doesn’t know at festivals, concerts or retail establishments because it means that more folks are coming from farther away.
Take the annual Hot Sauce Festival, for example.
“It’s the coolest thing that’s SO hot in Granville County,” Allen said. And this year, the festival will span two days – Friday, Sept. 6 and Saturday, Sept. 7. AND, Allen said, organizers have added a salsa category to the competition.
But that’s not the only new addition. The Friday events run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and will feature glow-in-the-dark putt-putt, vendors and music as a lead-in to the daylong Saturday activities – which this year will stretch from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Kids can enjoy a rock-climbing wall, carnival rides and games in the Fiery Fun Zone, she said.
Adventurous souls can sample all the pepper-inspired tastes, from craft beer to ice cream.
Allen won’t be participating in the popular pepper eating contest, “but I’m brave enough to watch it,” she quipped.
Hot sauce enthusiasts from all over show up for the festival, she said.
“This is the hot spot,” she said.
Visit www.visitgranvillenc.com to learn about all the upcoming events throughout the county.
(This is not a paid ad, but Granville Tourism does advertise on WIZS.com.)
WIZS Radio Henderson Local News 07-30-24 Noon
/by WIZS StaffClick Play to Listen. On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
Warren County Site Of Upcoming Forum To Discuss Environmental Justice
/by WIZS StaffPeople can soon comment on an environmental justice initiative outlined in Gov. Roy Cooper’s Executive Order 292. Warren County has been selected as one of three sites across the state to hold a forum to hear comments from the public about environmental issues.
The order reestablished an Environmental Justice Advisory Council and calls on state agencies to develop and track goals to improve environmental justice in North Carolina.
The Advancing Environmental Justice initiative aims to ensure that everyone, no matter their race, income, or location, has access to clean air, water, and soil, according to information at https://publicinput.com/NCEJ. The program focuses on helping communities that are most affected by pollution and climate change, such as communities of color, low-income neighborhoods and indigenous groups.
“Environmental justice means equal access to a healthy environment for all,” said Dr. Virginia Guidry, the council co-chair and Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch head at the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. “Equal access requires meaningful involvement in decision making that affects our health, well-being and environment.”
The order called for the creation of a mapping tool to provide information about environmental justice issues and help the public identify areas that need attention. People can explore the interactive map, which includes climate, demographic, environmental, transportation and health data and more.
The order also encouraged public participation, giving everyone a chance to voice their concerns and contribute to the decision-making process regarding environmental issues. Several opportunities are on the horizon.
A statewide virtual meeting will be held at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 1 via GoToWebinar. This initial meeting will serve as the public launch of the initiative, providing an overview of the goals and objectives and giving communities the chance to offer input.
Warren County will be one of three sites to host in-person forums during August. Warren County’s is Aug. 15; the other forums will be held in Asheville on Aug. 8 and Duplin County on Aug. 22. An in-person Environmental Justice Advisory Council meeting is scheduled for Sept. 24 in Halifax County. Specific locations for these meetings will be posted on the public input page once determined, according to a press release from NCDOT.
“The Governor’s Environmental Justice Advisory Council, pursuit to Executive Order 292, is committed to helping state agencies leverage spatial analytic tools and data-driven strategies and tactics to reduce exposures to life-threatening environmental contaminants and the over-concentration of noxious facilities and locally unwanted land-uses in the state’s historically marginalized communities,” said Dr. Jim Johnson, the council co-chair and the William R. Kenan Jr. distinguished professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, and director of the Urban Investment Strategies Center.
More information on the environmental justice initiative in North Carolina can be found on the governor’s webpage.