WIZS Radio Local News Audio 03-16-23 Noon
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Tag Archive for: #hendersonnews
TownTalk: Addressing Food Insecurities
A planning session will be held Tuesday, Mar. 21 in the fellowship hall of First United Methodist Church to discuss the upcoming Community Day of Service. Brian Daniel invites anyone interested in participating in the April 22 event to come to the planning meeting.
The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in the fellowship hall of First United Methodist Church, and the actual Day of Service will be held at South Henderson Pentecostal Holiness Church on Americal Road in April.
As it did back in January 2020, the 2023 Community Day of Giving will focus on food insecurity. Teams of volunteers will package a non-perishable mix of highly nutritious foods for Rise Against Hunger, an organization that sends across the world to help those in need.
Among the topics for discussion on Tuesday are volunteer shifts, numbers of volunteers needed and team fundraising, according to Daniel.
In 2020, more than 600 volunteers from 14 churches and various businesses and organizations in the community were responsible for making 63,000 meals that were then boxed up and sent to countries all over the world. Because of the strong turnout, the teams exceeded the day’s goal of 50,000 meals.
But the event also collected a large trailer load of food for ACTS of Henderson, which helped to feed hungry people right here in the community.
Teams will work between now and April 22 to raise money to defray food costs for Rise Against Hunger, as well as collect food and money for ACTS.
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TownTalk: Enjoy St. Patrick’s Day And Stay Safe
St. Patrick’s Day has evolved from a religious holiday to a day of festivities and everything Irish. Revelers need not have ancestors from County Cork to enjoy all the fun and merriment that surrounds this holiday, and it’s a time when leprechauns, green beer and corned beef and cabbage take center stage.
Whether you choose to celebrate in family-friendly activities like Friday afternoon’s Shamrocks on Breckenridge event or in other ways, the State Highway Patrol wants to remind drivers to never drink and drive.
Law enforcement agencies statewide are increasing patrols to keep impaired drivers off the roads during the St. Patrick’s Day and through the weekend during a “Booze It & Lose It” enforcement campaign.
“St. Patrick’s Day is well established as a time for celebration, but people should do so responsibly,” said Mark Ezzell, director of the N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program. “Never get behind the wheel if you’ve been drinking alcohol. Drinking and driving can be deadly. Have a plan to get home safely so you don’t risk seriously injuring or killing yourself or someone else.”
During last year’s weeklong observation of St. Patrick’s Day, 225 alcohol-related crashes resulting in 11 deaths occurred on North Carolina roads.
“The most tragic thing about these deaths is that all of them could have been prevented and their impacts avoided, if people would just do their parts by planning ahead and ensuring they celebrate this St. Patrick’s Day responsibly,” said Col. Freddy Johnson, Jr., commander of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.
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Cooperative Extension With Jamon Glover: Thank You
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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Leadership Changes in Vance County Schools
Dr. Destiney Ross-Putney has been named the Chief Officer of Instruction and Innovation. She will begin duties in her new role in May, according to information from VCS.
Kadecia Stewart-Faines has been named Beginning Teacher Support Coordinator and Casey Jackson has been named the Advanced Teaching Roles Coordinator and are set to begin their new duties in July.
Ross-Putney, a graduate of Vance County Schools, will take the reins from Dr. Gail Powers, who is retiring. She began in 2008 as a math teacher at Northern Vance High School, continuing as assistant principal at STEM Early High School, secondary math specialist, instructional technology facilitator and then executive director of the Center for Innovation and Professional Learning.
VCS Superintendent Dr. Cindy Bennett said she is confident Ross-Putney will expand her impact on the district in her new role, calling her an “innovative educator and systems thinker. Her work ethic is phenomenal and her desire to support teaching and learning is essential to the work we hope to accomplish.”
Ross-Putney was instrumental in the creation of the district’s first STEM middle school, designing and implementing an early high school model that was one-of-its-kind on the national level. She continues to fulfill her passion of providing access and opportunities to underrepresented student groups to STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts, mathematics) education and career fields.
As a graduate of Vance County Schools, Ross-Putney went on to earn her Bachelors of Science in Math Education and Masters in Education in Instructional Technology from N.C. State University. She earned her Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership from High Point University. As a student-centered and passionate professional who is committed to building relationships, ensuring equity, inspiring creativity, and promoting practices that effectively improves outcomes for students, the district is excited for the work Ross-Putney will bring to the role of Chief Officer of Instruction and Innovation and the impact on our learning communities.
Ross-Putney and her husband have three children and live in Franklin County.
Stewart-Faines joined VCS in 2013 and has a total of 17 in the field of education. She began teaching in Kingston, Jamaica before coming to North Carolina. She was a teacher at Pinkston Street Elementary and was named 2017-18 Teacher of the Year. She moved on to earn district teacher of the year honors and then regional teacher of the year. She transitioned to school administration and previously was assistant principal at Vance County Middle School. She currently serves as the Innovative Partnership Grant Coach.
She earned her Bachelors in Education from Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts and her Masters in Curriculum an.d Instruction from Florida International University, Stewart-Faines then went on to earn her Masters in School Administration from High Point University. She participated in the High Point Leadership Academy for School Leadership.
Superintendent Bennett shared, “All educators need support, especially those new to the profession, state or country. Kedecia is very knowledgeable in the teaching and learning process and has a heart to serve.
Stewart-Faines lives in Williamsboro with her husband and three children.
Jackson, who will become the Advanced Teaching Roles Coordinator, joined VCS in 2018. Jackson began as a 4th grade teacher in Virginia for nine years, later becoming an Assistant Principal. After 3 years in that role, she became a Principal, serving in that capacity for one year. In 2018, Jackson joined Vance County Schools as a Multi-Classroom Leader (MCL) at Aycock Elementary.
MCL’s were initially established at Opportunity Culture schools within Vance County Schools as those with data to support high-growth student learning and leadership competencies. MCL’s work directly with staff and students, spending a portion of time teaching, as well as leading small teams of teachers, collaborating to provide support and implementing the best strategies for classroom instruction. Jackson has had great success in this role. As the Advanced Teaching Roles Coordinator, she will extend her reach, working with both MCL’s and principals.
“Casey is a strong instructional leader. From teacher to MCL to Principal, she has demonstrated her passion for education and supporting both students and staff,” shared Superintendent Bennett. “We are excited about the Advanced Teaching Roles Coordinator position, as it will expand Casey’s impact throughout the district.”
A graduate of Longwood University, Jackson earned her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and her Masters of Science in Educational Leadership. She resides in South Hill, Virginia with her husband and three children.
WIZS Radio Local News Audio 03-15-23 Noon
Click Play to Listen. On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
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Home And Garden Show
On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.
- Keep your Garden notebook or app up to date. Ex planting dates, fertilizer schedule
- Make plans to visit a public garden this spring to get inspiration and ideas for your own landscape.
- Purchase a good soil thermometer.
- If you direct seed crops in your vegetable garden, monitor soil daily to ensure the seed bed has adequate moisture.
- Order Honeybees ASAP for pollination.
- If you have plans to do some landscaping this spring, don’t wait to plant trees and shrubs.
- Check garden equipment. Tillers, sprayers, weed trimmers.
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H-V Chamber Offers “Women In Business” Workshop April 11
The name has changed, but the target audience is the same: WOVEN is now called Women In Business, and the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce invites women in business to a Lunch and Learn session next month.
Dr. Linda R. Jordon will be the guest speaker for the event, scheduled for Tuesday, April 11 at 12 noon, at Southern Charm Event Center at 200 S. Garnett St.
The founder of LRJ Coaching & Business Solutions, LLC, Jordon is a facilitator, trainer and coach in the areas of leadership development, professional skills and personal growth.
Jordon’s topic is “Working Smarter;” the $20 registration fee includes lunch. Please RSVP by April 4 by calling the Chamber at 252.438.8414 or email vanessa@hendersonvance.org.
The Local Skinny! The Importance of Rabies Vaccines for Pets
Did you know that state law requires pet owners to have their pets vaccinated against rabies?
The statute states that all owned cats, dogs and ferrets must be vaccinated for rabies. It’s important to keep all vaccinations up-to-date, but especially rabies, said veterinarian Alex Besermenji with Franklin Animal Hospital.
Besermenji spoke with Bill Harris Tuesday during the recurring Pets and People segment of The Local Skinny!
“Rabies is a viral disease,” Besermenji explained, most commonly seen in wildlife like raccoons, coyotes, foxes and bats. Unvaccinated pets that are bitten by rabid animals face a bleak outcome. The disease is incurable, he said.
“Once the virus enters the nerve system, it works all the way up to the brain. There is no cure.”
Although rabies isn’t often seen in cats, Besermenji said the feral cat population may be more at risk than our domesticated tabbies and torties.
The fact of the matter is, any mammal may contract rabies. And prevention with a one-year or three-year vaccine given at the vet’s office or at clinics offered regularly be local animal shelters is what keeps all our furry friends safe.
Franklin Animal Hospital is located at 501 W. Mason St. in Franklinton, just off U.S. 1.
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TownTalk: Henderson City Council Meeting
The Henderson City Council approved a couple of requests aimed at giving local law enforcements more money in their pockets and an additional tool to help them in their job of keeping the city safe.
Chief Marcus Barrow said the police department is allotted 52 sworn law enforcement positions, but it currently has about a dozen vacancies. In two separate requests, Barrow asked Council members to take the equivalent of one police officer’s salary – $66,000 – and use it to place 25 camera-like devices across the city that can read license plates.
Barrow, along with city staff, want to take some of that unused money from the “salary” category and put it to work to help the current officers who patrol the city’s streets and neighborhoods.
The license plate readers, or LPRs, are small and only weigh about 3 pounds but they can have a powerful impact. Police can enter license plate information into the system and the LPR will “look” for matching tags. Whether it’s a stolen vehicle or a vehicle associated in other criminal activity, the LPR can help police narrow down searches.
Flock Safety will provide 25 license plate readers for the police department to use, and will in essence, take the place of one law enforcement officer.
Numerous nearby municipalities are already using Flock Safety or have contracted
with them for deployment in the near future. Local law enforcement is in constant contact with those agencies to help solve crimes that travel through various jurisdictions.
To drive home the point, Barrow said the use of LPRs in Durham helped provide information that proved useful in the arrests of three people in connection with the deaths of two men found in a car on Gholson Avenue last month. One of the suspects is from Durham, Barrow said.
It’s one way that the police department can work smarter, not harder, during times when agencies continue to experience vacancies, with little interest from prospective employees.
“Filling positions has become increasingly difficult, and law enforcement agencies
across the nation are seeking alternative solutions to supplement their shortages with technology and tools to assist their workforce,” states information from the council’s agenda packet.
But additional technology isn’t the only thing that Barrow is asking council members to consider: the council also approved a request to bump up salaries by more than $6,000 for current sworm officers as a way to make the base pay more competitive with nearby agencies.
The city raised the base pay a couple of years ago, and Barrow said that helped retention rates tremendously. But now, surrounding agencies are upping their game and implementing pay adjustments of their own.
“We are just past the midterm of our fiscal year and anticipate a $400,000 to $500,000 surplus in our approved salaries, wages and benefits. With most agencies in the Wake County area at a $50,000 starting salary, and comparable sized agencies at or near this mark, it is necessary that we develop a salary adjustment that will align with the market trend to help with officer retention and recruitment,” Barrow stated in remarks to council.
The salary adjustment of $6,456 for each sworn employee brings the hiring salary for an entry-level sworn officer to $48,959 – just shy of Wake County agencies, but more in line with neighboring counties’ pay rates.
Barrow said he surveyed 25 nearby agencies and only Louisburg Police Department is lower than Henderson’s. He wouldn’t expect to be able to compete with a Cary or a Wake Forest, he said, but the $6,456 boost will help the local department compete with similar-sized agencies.
“If nothing is done, we expect shortages to continue and retention efforts to dwindle as competing agencies further the gap,” Barrow reported.
If implemented this month, March the total cost, including benefits but not
including the pending retirement of a Lieutenant in March or April, is approximately $102,000. In FY 23-24, the total increase would be $315,000 in the Salary/Wage line item.
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