100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL
-Press Release, NCDA&CS
The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Agronomic Services Lab announces its peak-season testing fee effective Dec. 1 through March 31, 2021. Samples must be delivered by 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 30, to avoid being charged peak-season fees.
During this peak-season time period, the cost of soil testing is $4 per sample. The fee originated in 2013 to encourage earlier sampling in the fall, one of the busiest times of the year for the lab. By submitting samples before Dec. 1, users can avoid peak-season fees and get results back quickly. Outside of the peak-season, soil testing is free to growers.
Samples with completed soil sample information forms must be delivered and received by the Agronomic Services Division prior to Dec. 1 to avoid the fee. Samples will not be accepted without completed paperwork.
“Despite the pandemic, the agricultural industry has marched forward and continues to be our number one economic driver in the state. Soil fertility is critical to crop success, and soil testing can help ensure optimal plant growth,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “I encourage growers to try to get samples submitted early to avoid the fee; however, the fee does help our Agronomic Division continue to provide one of the best soil testing services in the United States.”
Growers are reminded that all money collected during the fee period is dedicated to improvements in the soil testing lab as well as hiring additional staff for the peak-season.
Due to the pandemic, the Eaddy Building is closed to the public, but growers still have access to the loading dock seven days a week, 24 hours a day until Monday, Nov. 30, at 5 p.m. at which time the gate to Agronomic Division property will close.
During the fee period, sample drop-off times will be between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, except during state holidays. There will be no after-hours drop-off times for samples during peak season.
Growers who visit the loading dock will find new signage and directions of where to unload and pick-up sample supplies. If interaction with clients is necessary, a new protective kiosk can be used.
“The division has taken a lot of precaution in delivering safe, customer-friendly service during the pandemic,” Troxler said. If growers need supplies, they are advised to call a day or at least several hours ahead of arrival so supplies will be ready for pickup.
As to submitting samples, growers are encouraged to submit sample information forms online, so their information can be accurately and quickly uploaded into the database system. Peak-season fees can be paid with a credit card using a secure online payment service called PayPoint. Online submission can be accessed through the PALS homepage at www.ncagr.gov/agronomi/PALS/ after a user account is established under the Utility link.
Up-to-date turnaround times can always be found at www.ncagr.gov/agronomi/PALS/. If a faster turnaround time is needed, the lab offers an expedited soil testing service on a limited basis.
Growers can purchase expedited shippers, which can hold up to 36 soil samples, for $200 each while supplies last. The service guarantees a seven-business-day turnaround time if the lab is contacted and notified 24 hours in advance of the quantity being delivered. Otherwise, the guaranteed turnaround time of two weeks upon delivery at the lab is offered. These guarantees exclude the Christmas season. Unused expedited shippers can be used in the following years. Currently, only a small supply of expedited shippers is available.
Contact the Agronomic Services Division at (919) 733-2655 for questions regarding the peak-season soil testing fee, online sample submission or the purchase of expedited shippers.
City of Oxford’s First Holiday Toy Drive in Full Swing
/by WIZS Staff100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL
The City of Oxford is proud to bring the 1st Annual Holiday Toy Drive to the community. Donations of new, unwrapped toys for children are needed.
Donations can be brought to Oxford City Hall, located at 300 Williamsboro St., by December 18, 2020.
Toys are needed for children between the ages of 3 and 11 years old, as well as for a baby (girl) on the way. No toy shall be turned away!
If you are interested in more specific information, please call (919) 603-1102.
Henderson Public Safety Committee to Discuss COVID, Homicides
/by WIZS Staff100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL
The Henderson City Council’s Public Safety Committee will meet on Thursday, December 3, 2020, at 3 p.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall, 134 Rose Avenue. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss COVID-19 and homicides.
This meeting will be available via Zoom, and the public is welcome to observe.
Join Zoom Meeting
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Meeting ID: 891 4243 9150
Passcode: 310402
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Winter Heating Assistance Available to Qualifying Seniors, Disabled
/by WIZS Staff100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL
-Press Release, NCDHHS
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced it will issue an automated payment to thousands of eligible households to help with winter heating expenses via the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program.
The automated payment will be issued beginning Dec. 1 and is designed to help eligible seniors and people with disabilities access winter heating assistance in a safe and socially distanced manner during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“More of our neighbors may be facing financial hardships because of COVID-19, and this funding can help eligible households with their heating expenses this winter,” said NCDHHS Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D. “We want to ensure seniors and people with disabilities are healthy and safe during a difficult time of the year.”
Eligible households may qualify to receive an automated payment for the 2020-2021 LIEAP season if a member of the household 1) is age 60 or older or a person with a disability receiving services through the Division of Aging and Adult Services, 2) currently receives Food and Nutrition Services and 3) received LIEAP during the 2019-2020 season. These households will be notified of eligibility in November and do not need to apply for this benefit.
Any household with a person age 60 or older or with a disability receiving DAAS services who does not receive notice of an automated payment is encouraged to practice social distancing and submit a paper application for LIEAP assistance through U.S. Mail or fax to their local department of social services. Applications may also be dropped off at the local DSS, and applicants may contact their local DSS for information on how to obtain a paper application.
Beginning Jan. 2, 2021, all other households may apply online through the ePASS portal at epass.nc.gov or submit a paper application through mail, fax or dropping it off at their local DSS, but they do not have to go into the agency to apply. Individuals may also contact their local DSS to apply. All household applications will be accepted from Jan. 2, 2020, to March 31, 2021, or until funds are exhausted.
To be eligible for the LIEAP program, a household must:
For more information on the program and eligibility, visit www.ncdhhs.gov/assistance/low-income-services/low-income-energy-assistance.
Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland 11-30-20 – Non-Native Plants Can Be Invasive
/by CharleneListen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 2 PM Monday – Thursday.
HPD Prepares for CALEA Assessment; Public May Offer Comments
/by WIZS Staff100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL
-Press Release, Henderson Police Department
As a law enforcement agency holding Advanced Law Enforcement Accreditation since 2002, the Henderson Police Department takes great pride in serving its community. Every four (4) years we host Assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) to perform reviews of the agency’s operations, policies and adherence to the professional standards of CALEA.
For this four-year cycle, the Henderson Police Department’s CALEA Advanced Law Enforcement Accreditation “site-based” assessment is scheduled for December 7 through December 9, 2020. As part of the assessment, the Henderson Police Department invites members of the public to offer comments by calling (252) 425-0974 on Tuesday, December 8, 2020, between 1 and 3 p.m. The Assessment Team will be taking telephone comments during these hours.
In addition, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the agency will host a virtual public hearing for comments on Tuesday, December 8, 2020, at 5:30 p.m. Link to the virtual hearing is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85927805910
Telephone and Public Hearing comments are limited to five minutes and must address the ability of the Henderson Police Department to comply with CALEA’s standards. If the public has questions regarding the specific standards or standard topics, they may contact Accreditation Manager, Lieutenant Steve Gresham at (252) 430-3145 or via email at sgresham@hendersonncpd.org.
Written comments regarding the Henderson Police Department’s ability to comply with the standards for reaccreditation may be sent to the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement, Inc. (CALEA), 13757 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320, Gainesville, Virginia 20155 or may be emailed to CALEA at calea@calea.org.
Town Talk 11/30/20: Salvation Army’s Angel Tree, Christmas Bell Ringers Underway
/by Kelly BondurantTHIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY
Captains Derrick and Odessa Smith, husband and wife team with The Salvation Army of Henderson, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Monday at 11 a.m. to discuss the ministry’s holiday events.
Angel Tree & Forgotten Angels
The Salvation Army of Henderson encourages the community to help a child in need this Christmas season by taking a name, either physically or virtually, from the “Angel Tree.” This annual program brightens the holidays by providing new clothing and toys to local children.
According to Odessa, 300 children from the surrounding area will participate in the program this year.
As part of its “Forgotten Angels Drive,” The Salvation Army also encourages the community to consider supporting children ages 10 to 12 who are often left on the tree in favor of younger kids.
How it Works:
Contact Captain Odessa Smith at (252) 432-7766 or email odessa.smith@uss.salvationarmy.org with any questions.
Kettle Bell Ringers
The Salvation Army is currently accepting volunteer bell ringers that can serve now through December 24, 2020, from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m.
Youth are welcome; adult supervision may be required based on age. Individual ringers will be placed at locations for two to four-hour shifts. When volunteers are not available, The Salvation Army must hire ringers, which reduces the funds available for services.
There are over 20 bell-ringing locations across Vance, Granville, Franklin, Northampton, Halifax and Warren counties. Groups willing to cover a location for an entire day can choose any approved location.
In addition to the traditional method of placing change in the red kettle, donors may also place money in the “virtual kettle” by using their Smartphone to access Google Pay or Apple Pay at the stand. The Salvation Army’s Facebook page also has a scan code that can be used with a Smartphone to donate money to the virtual kettle.
All Red Kettle Campaign proceeds support The Salvation Army of Henderson’s Christmas and year-round programs.
For more information or to volunteer, visit www.registertoring.com or contact Captain Derrick Smith at (252) 432-7474 or via email at derrick.smith@uss.salvationarmy.org.
“The reality is there is a 40 percent increase in need this year, whether from COVID or other circumstances,” explained Derrick. “We are truly blessed and honored to be able to help those that come through our door. We couldn’t do it without volunteers or folks that donate to The Salvation Army.”
To hear the interview in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.
Oxford Man Sentenced on Firearm Charge After Attempting to Flee From Police
/by WIZS Staff100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL
-Press Release, U.S. Department of Justice
Xavier Santonio Bobbitt of Oxford was sentenced today to 36 months in prison for possessing firearms as a convicted felon. No stranger to federal courts, this was Bobbitt’s third conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 21, 2020, an officer of the Oxford Police Department was traveling along College Street in Oxford, North Carolina, when he observed a silver 2005 Buick LeSabre improperly pass another vehicle at high speed. The LaSabre continued at a high speed as the officer pursued. The vehicle eventually came to an abrupt stop. The driver, later identified as Xavier Bobbitt, jumped from the vehicle and ran. Officers apprehended Bobbitt on foot shortly thereafter.
A nearby witness advised law enforcement that someone threw two firearms from the passenger side window of the vehicle as it stopped. Officers recovered the firearms, a Springfield .45 caliber pistol loaded with 29 rounds in an extended magazine and a Stag Arms 5.56 caliber rifle loaded with 28 rounds of ammunition. Both had been reported stolen. In the car’s trunk, officers found a black mesh bag that contained various caliber ammunition, two loaded pistol magazines, and a loaded drum magazine.
Bobbitt was transported to Oxford PD, where he waived his Miranda Rights and was interviewed. He said he bought the firearms off the street and had instructed his passenger to throw them out the window when he realized they were going to be stopped by the police.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Since 2017, the United States Department of Justice has reinvigorated the PSN program and has targeted violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
That effort has been implemented through the Take Back North Carolina Initiative of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices in those communities on a sustained basis to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Oxford Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake D. Pugh prosecuted the case.
Noon News 11-30-20 Salvation Army; Wind Advisory; Covid19; Court Cancelled; City Council Meeting
/by Bill HarrisStories include:
– Salvation Army Christmas programs
– Covid19 case counts
– Court Cancelled for this week
– City Council Meeting scheduled for today
For full details and audio click play
Peak Season Soil Testing Fees Begin Dec. 1
/by WIZS Staff100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL
-Press Release, NCDA&CS
The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Agronomic Services Lab announces its peak-season testing fee effective Dec. 1 through March 31, 2021. Samples must be delivered by 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 30, to avoid being charged peak-season fees.
During this peak-season time period, the cost of soil testing is $4 per sample. The fee originated in 2013 to encourage earlier sampling in the fall, one of the busiest times of the year for the lab. By submitting samples before Dec. 1, users can avoid peak-season fees and get results back quickly. Outside of the peak-season, soil testing is free to growers.
Samples with completed soil sample information forms must be delivered and received by the Agronomic Services Division prior to Dec. 1 to avoid the fee. Samples will not be accepted without completed paperwork.
“Despite the pandemic, the agricultural industry has marched forward and continues to be our number one economic driver in the state. Soil fertility is critical to crop success, and soil testing can help ensure optimal plant growth,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “I encourage growers to try to get samples submitted early to avoid the fee; however, the fee does help our Agronomic Division continue to provide one of the best soil testing services in the United States.”
Growers are reminded that all money collected during the fee period is dedicated to improvements in the soil testing lab as well as hiring additional staff for the peak-season.
Due to the pandemic, the Eaddy Building is closed to the public, but growers still have access to the loading dock seven days a week, 24 hours a day until Monday, Nov. 30, at 5 p.m. at which time the gate to Agronomic Division property will close.
During the fee period, sample drop-off times will be between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, except during state holidays. There will be no after-hours drop-off times for samples during peak season.
Growers who visit the loading dock will find new signage and directions of where to unload and pick-up sample supplies. If interaction with clients is necessary, a new protective kiosk can be used.
“The division has taken a lot of precaution in delivering safe, customer-friendly service during the pandemic,” Troxler said. If growers need supplies, they are advised to call a day or at least several hours ahead of arrival so supplies will be ready for pickup.
As to submitting samples, growers are encouraged to submit sample information forms online, so their information can be accurately and quickly uploaded into the database system. Peak-season fees can be paid with a credit card using a secure online payment service called PayPoint. Online submission can be accessed through the PALS homepage at www.ncagr.gov/agronomi/PALS/ after a user account is established under the Utility link.
Up-to-date turnaround times can always be found at www.ncagr.gov/agronomi/PALS/. If a faster turnaround time is needed, the lab offers an expedited soil testing service on a limited basis.
Growers can purchase expedited shippers, which can hold up to 36 soil samples, for $200 each while supplies last. The service guarantees a seven-business-day turnaround time if the lab is contacted and notified 24 hours in advance of the quantity being delivered. Otherwise, the guaranteed turnaround time of two weeks upon delivery at the lab is offered. These guarantees exclude the Christmas season. Unused expedited shippers can be used in the following years. Currently, only a small supply of expedited shippers is available.
Contact the Agronomic Services Division at (919) 733-2655 for questions regarding the peak-season soil testing fee, online sample submission or the purchase of expedited shippers.
Granville BOE’s Academic Subcommittee to Meet Dec. 1
/by WIZS Staff100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL
-Information courtesy Granville County Public Schools
The Granville County Board of Education Academic Subcommittee will meet virtually on Tuesday, December 1, 2020, at 2 p.m. to discuss information related to academic performance.
For more information or to receive a link to the virtual meeting, please contact Dr. Michael A. Myrick, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction at myrickm@gcs.k12.nc.us or Mrs. Alston Shave at shavea@gcs.k12.nc.us.