Cooperative Extension with Jamon Glover: Natural Consequences

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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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TownTalk: Family Creates VGCC Scholarship For Students In CDL Program In Memory Of Loved One

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– information courtesy of VGCC Public Information Officer Courtney Cissel

Family members of a local man have established scholarships for Vance-Granville Community College students in the commercial driver license program to honor his memory and acknowledge the positive effects the program had on his life.

David Lee Chavis, Jr. was a victim of gun violence who died in March 2023. His sister, Tameka Holden, and his mother, Carrie Cheek, both of Henderson, have established two need-based scholarships that will award $1,100 to students pursuing their CDL.

Chavis, affectionately called “DJ” by those who knew him, built a successful career as a commercial truck driver in recent years. A native of Vance County, Chavis had once lived a very different life—but hard work, renewed vision, and a commercial driver’s license provided him with a fresh start and an honest means of supporting his family.

Holden witnessed firsthand how her brother’s whole life transformed when he began his driving career and started his own business, TYM Trucking. From her perspective, creating a scholarship that can free others from a cycle of poverty and crime is the perfect way to honor his legacy and demonstrate her personal motto: Reach one, teach one.

If these scholarships prevent another family from experiencing the loss that hers did, Holden feels the effort it took to establish them will have been worth it. “The streets don’t love you,” she stressed. “They only take you away from the people that do.”

The VGCC Foundation anticipates awarding the two CDL scholarships in January 2024. The contribution represents grassroots fundraising efforts from family, friends, and neighbors; VGCCF has set up an ongoing fund for the David Lee Chavis Jr. Memorial CDL Annual Scholarship so that donors can continue to support the college’s future CDL students.

Vance-Granville Community College recently announced that the cost of completing its 9-week CDL program will decrease to $1,200 in 2024, meaning that tuition and related fees will be almost completely covered for recipients of the David Lee Chavis Jr. Memorial CDL Annual Scholarship.

In addition to providing scholarships to deserving students, the Vance-Granville Community College Foundation supports a broad range of special projects involving education, training, and economic development in our community. Tax-deductible donations to VGCCF have often been used to honor a person, group, business, or industry with a lasting gift to education. For more information about the VGCC Foundation, contact 252-738-3264 or https://www.vgcc.edu/foundation/.

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TownTalk: People

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The passing of Dr. Daniel Bernstein, a missing Henderson woman and battery safety for youngsters were discussed.

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Oxford Seeks Input On City Marketing Strategies Via Online Survey

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The City of Oxford and the Downtown Oxford Economic Development Corporation are working to create a brand identity and marketing strategy to promote Oxford as a place to live, visit and conduct business.

Part of the effort will include creation of a dedicated brand to promote Downtown Oxford as a unique destination, according to information from Sabrina Richards, communications specialist for the city of Oxford.

Richards stated that city leaders will hold public workshops in 2024 to gather input from the community as the strategies are developed.

Complete the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OxfordNC.

Henderson Police Searching For Woman Reported Missing On Christmas Day

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– information courtesy of Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow

***LOCATED***

Henderson Police are asking for the public’s help in locating a woman who was reported missing on Christmas Day.

Cora Ayscue, 45, was last seen in the vicinity of Lincoln Street on Dec. 14, according to information from Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow.

Police are provided information about Ayscue’s vehicle, which Barrow described as a 2008 dark blue Nissan Sentra with North Carolina plate KFM 256.

Anyone who has seen Ayscue or the vehicle is asked to contact police at 252.492.0202.

City of Oxford

Oxford Official Completes REDI Training From N.C. Rural Center

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Alyssa Blair, Downtown Development director for the City of Oxford, is among the most recent class to complete the Rural Economic Development Institute.

REDI, the N.C. Rural Center’s flagship leadership development program, is a three-month training program that offers participants resources and tools they need to tackle economic and community development issues facing rural North Carolina, according to a press statement from Bill Holmes, senior director of communications for the Rural Center.

In a press statement, Sabrina Richards, communications specialist for the City of Oxford, said “Alyssa’s participation in REDI reflects her ongoing commitment to professional growth and her passion for promoting economic development. We have no doubt that the knowledge and skills she has gained through this program will be invaluable in her role as Downtown Development Director and will continue to benefit the City of Oxford.”

Now in its 32nd year, REDI has trained more than 1,100 leaders across the state. As a graduate of REDI, Blair now joins that extensive alumni network that spans all of North Carolina’s 100 counties and includes graduates from the Rural Center’s other leadership training program,  Homegrown Leaders. Many of the center’s leadership alumni are active in state and local government and in philanthropic, nonprofit and small-business sectors, as well as in faith- and  community-based organizations.

“We had an amazing REDI class this year made up of a diverse group of participants from various sectors representing 18 different North Carolina counties,” said Olaunda Green, director of leadership training for the N.C. Rural Center. “Something magical happens when you put individuals into a room, who seemingly have nothing in common, but after going through this program, relationships form, connections are made and lifelong partnerships are created.”

Rural Center President and CEO Patrick Woodie delivered the final remarks of the graduation ceremony and encouraged the new graduates to return home to build bridges.

“Congratulations to this year’s class of REDI graduates for investing in yourselves and your communities through this valuable training,” Woodie said. “Rural North Carolina needs leaders like you willing to look at challenges in a new way, and we know you have many successes  ahead of you.”

To learn more, visit https://www.ncruralcenter.org/.

Franklin County Names Matt Masters As New EMS Director

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-information courtesy of Franklin County Public Information Officer James F. Hicks III

Franklin County has named Matt Masters as Emergency Medical Services director. He will begin his new job on Jan. 2, 2024.

Masters has close to three decades of experience with emergency medical services in Wake County.

“I am excited to join Franklin County as the EMS Director and use my more than 29 years of EMS experience to navigate our team into the future,” Masters said in a press statement from Franklin County Public Information Officer James F. Hicks III.

Masters was District Chief, Field Training Officer and Paramedic for the Wake County EMS System – supervising daily EMS operations within the department and field operations throughout the county. Prior to that, he served as a Shift Supervisor and Paramedic for Six Forks EMS from 2002-2007 and as an Assistant Chief and Paramedic for Knightdale EMS. In each of his previous positions, he provided supervision, directed operations and assisted in annual budget preparation.

“Matt brings a wealth of supervisory EMS experience which will be extremely valuable to Franklin County,” said County Manager Kim Denton.

Masters graduated from Lenoir Community College with an associates degree in Emergency Medical Services and an associates degree in Emergency Management. He has also obtained a Paramedic certification from Wake Technical Community College.

 

Cooperative Extension: Recycle Christmas Trees To Provide Refuge For Birds, More

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That live Christmas tree that has sheltered gifts under its needled boughs can have a second life once it’s served its purpose for the holidays.

N.C. Cooperative Extension Agent Paul McKenzie said those live trees – many of them probably Fraser Firs raised right here in North Carolina – can create useful habitats for birds and other woodland animals right in your landscape.

You’ll want to make sure all the decorations are removed, of course, but once that’s done, the tree can be placed out of the way in your yard – if it’s big enough – or in or near a wooded area.

The trees provide a wonderful refuge for birds and other furry mammals who may be looking for a safe spot to hide from predators, McKenzie noted.

For years, discarded trees have been used along the state’s beaches to add stability to the sand dunes along the coast.

And pond owners also know the benefit of submerging discarded trees to create a protective spot for fish and other water-dwelling creatures.

If none of those options work for you, McKenzie said the trees are considered yard waste, so they can be collected and then sent through the chipper to become compost.