Tag Archive for: #hendersonnews

Vance Charter Lottery Mar. 1; Application Period Runs Jan. 21-Feb. 28 For 2025-26

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The Vance Charter lottery for the 2025-2026 school year will open on Tuesday, Jan. 21.

Parents of prospective students have until 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 28 to complete the online application. Find the application at www.vancecharter.org under VCS Lottery Info.

Because there is a limited number of spaces per class, it is possible more students will apply than there are available openings.  If this situation occurs, the school will admit students through a blind lottery.  Each application will be numbered and the numbers will be pooled per class.  Due to using an automated lottery program, the numbers will be generated randomly until all spaces in each grade level are filled.  The remaining students will be placed on a waitlist in order of their number’s removal through the automated lottery process.

The school will host two informational sessions:  Jan. 28 at 6 p.m. and Feb. 13, also at  6 p.m.

The lottery will be held on Saturday, Mar. 1. Attendance is not necessary, as final results will not be available until verification checks are performed.  Likewise, all applicants will receive email/text notification within one week of the actual lottery  to share final results.

Please remember that siblings of Vance Charter students who do not currently attend Vance Charter School must submit an application to be included in the lottery. This includes incoming kindergarten students.

 

TownTalk: McGregor Hall’s The Spot For Valentine’s Day Dinner And Show

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Make plans to spend this Valentine’s Day by enjoying dinner and a show – right here in Henderson.

“The Bridges of Madison County” opens on Friday, Feb. 14 for a two weekend run at McGregor Hall, and Mark Hopper, McGregor Hall’s executive and creative director, said patrons can choose to dine before the show “with your Valentine or some of your best friends.”

The doors open at 6 p.m. and dinner service in the Gallery begins at 6:15 p.m., Hopper said on Thursday’s TownTalk. There’s plenty of time to enjoy the meal before the curtain rises at 8 p.m.

Visit https://www.mcgregorhall.org/ to purchase tickets online, stop by the box office Monday through Friday between 1:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. or call 252.598.0662. Discounted rates for tables for 8 are available, too. Other shows are Feb. 15, Feb. 22 and Feb. 23.

There will be a silent auction, which includes stays in vacation homes and a surprise item that Hopper said he’ll wait to reveal. The meal and the silent auction both benefit McGregor Hall.

As for the play, Hopper said the storyline is pretty involved. “It’s not a stereotypical Valentine’s Day kind of thing…(but) the theme of the show is love.”

Readers may remember the 1992 Robert James Waller novel. Moviegoers may remember the 1995 Oscar-winning movie featuring Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood. And Hopper said there’s “something remarkable in store” for audiences who come to see the McGregor Hall production.

Kelley Keats plays Francesca, who grew up in World War II Italy, married a GI and moved to Iowa to begin a new life. When Robert shows up to photograph the covered bridges of Madison County, a chance encounter cause Francesca to re-evaluate her life.

“It’s been very rewarding to work on – challenging but rewarding,” Hopper said, heaping praise on Keats, with her experience on Broadway, as well as the “incredible” cast that “makes the transitions with grace and skill.”

This upcoming production is the fourth ticketed show of a five-show series called McGregor Live!, Hopper said ticketed shows make up just a small percentage of what McGregor Hall hosts – something like 10 percent.

The rest comes from rental events and other types of shows, including “Father Figure,” another play by area playwright Garrett Davis. “He’s a very skillful writer,” Hopper said of Davis, who has Warren County ties, adding that most of his shows delve into the health-oriented concerns of the African American community.

“Father Figure” is about a father and son reconciliation, healing and the importance of a father figure in the life of a son. That show is on Feb. 2 at 4 p.m.

The fifth and final production in the McGregor Live! series is Catapult Dance on Mar. 27 at 7:30 p.m. which tells stories through group dance – in shadow. Hopper admits it’s difficult to describe in words just what the show will look like. There’s a video clip on the website.

The troupe was a finalist on Season 8 of America’s Got Talent.

Shows especially for area school students take place later in February and March, including a program on Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for older elementary students and a “Faces of Black History” for younger elementary-age students.

The N.C. Symphony returns on Mar. 13 to audiences of fourth graders from the area.

View the complete calendar of events at https://www.mcgregorhall.org/

 

 

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The Local Skinny! “Night To Shine” Returns To North Henderson Baptist Church Feb. 7

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North Henderson Baptist Church is pulling out all the stops again this year for a very special prom night. This year’s “Night to Shine” will take place on Friday, Feb. 7, and Pastor Eddie Nutt said the promgoers will get the royal treatment.

The evening is especially for individuals 14 and older with special needs, Nutt said. It’s just one of many events that will take place that day across the country and the world as part of the Tim Tebow Foundation.

It’s only the second time that the local church has participated, but this is the 11th year that the Tebow Foundation has hosted it. It’s always the Friday before Valentine’s Day, Nutt noted. Over the years, more than 625,000 guests have participated in all 50 states and in 72 countries across the globe.

Things will get underway about 6 p.m. at the church, located at 1211 N. Garnett St., Promgoers will walk the red carpet and will be greeted by paparazzi as they make their way into the church building for an evening of music, dancing and, of course, refreshments.

There will be limo rides “if they want to go out and ride around in the community,” Nutt said on Thursday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

If a lady needs a refresh or touchup of their hair or makeup, she can head over to the hair station or the makeup station, Nutt said. Gentlemen can get a fresh shine on their shoes if they need one.

“They’ll get the complete royal treatment throughout the evening,” he said.

The royal treatment continues as, one by one, Nutt gets to place a crown or tiara on each person’s head to crown them King or Queen of the evening.

“Seeing that look in their eyes as their name is called,” Nutt said, “is a heart-touching moment…to see that expression on their face, that they have worth, value – they are kings and queens in God’s eyes.”

Please pre-register for the evening by calling the church at 252.438.8012 or online at the church website, www.nhbcnc.org.

 

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Cooperative Extension with Jamon Glover: Raising Emotionally Intelligent Kids

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Cooperative Extension

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: Guardian ad Litem Program Provides Advocates To Children In Court System

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Eight hours a month doesn’t sound like much, but it could make all the difference in the life of a child.

Eight hours is what most Guardian ad Litem volunteers can expect to spend in their advocacy role for young people who are involved in the court system because of abuse or neglect.

Ruth Griffin, recruitment and retention lead for the statewide GAL program based in Raleigh, said there are roughly 3,200 volunteers in North Carolina, but there’s always a need for more.

In Vance County, for example, there are 77 children in care, but 21 do not have an advocate, Griffin said on Wednesday’s TownTalk.

Of 23 in Granville County, three are without advocates at this time.

“We have some awesome, awesome volunteers who are active in other cases,” Griffin said, “but we want more folks from the community to step up and to speak up for these kids in court – our goal being that every child should have an advocate.”

There is some training involved with becoming a guardian ad litem volunteer, and the winter training sessions begin Tuesday, Jan. 21. The virtual sessions will be held on Tuesdays from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. through Feb. 25. Apply at volunteerforgal.org.

As Griffin explained, it is a district court judge who begins the process of involving the Guardian ad Litem program when there’s a case of abuse or neglect of a child. A local advocate will be assigned and that person begins gathering information from adults in the child’s life – parents, teachers, physicians, etc. With support from an attorney and from GAL staff, the advocate creates a report with recommendations for what’s best for the child going forward.

For some children, their GAL advocate is the only constant in their lives. Social workers change, foster homes change, but a GAL advocate can remain with a child to provide emotional support as the case moves through the courts.

Advocates can visit with the children in familiar settings like their foster home or school, said Sarah Sattelberg, an advocacy specialist who works in the Raleigh office. “You’re never meeting them alone,” Sattelberg said.

Griffin said most of the cases that are referred to GAL involve neglect, but every case and every child is different. Some could be “situations that the average person just can’t imagine,” she said. “Oftentimes, we are meeting these kids at their worst moment.” The goal is to advocate for the best interests of the child as he or she moves through the court system.

Aside from the specific training that all advocates must complete, there’s no special background or expertise needed to become an advocate.

“You just have to have a heart to care,” Griffin said. “If you have that, you can begin to change a child’s life.”

Samantha Branch is the local contact for the Judicial District 11, which includes, Vance, Granville, Warren, Franklin and Person counties. Below are the addresses and phone numbers for the offices in the WIZS listening area:

Vance County
156 Church St., Henderson, NC 27536
252.430.5121

Granville County
147 Williamsboro St., Oxford, NC 27565
919.690.4921

Warren County
113 S. Main St., Louisburg, NC 27549
919.497.4244

Franklin County
113 S. Main St., Louisburg, NC 27549
919.497.4244

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Home And Garden Show

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

  • The Beginning Beekeepers School will start January 18th, starting at 9am at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market. For more information contact the Vance County Cooperative Extension at (252) 438-8188.
  • Use caution. Don’t get caught up in all the seed catalog pictures. You only have so much space in your garden.
  • January is inventory month. Do you have enough seeds, equipment, and supplies to prepare for the gardening season?
  • Now is an excellent time to plan your 2025 Garden out on paper. Include your Gardening Goals for this year.
  • It’s still a good time to take inventory of your seeds. That way you will know what vegetable seeds to order, try ordering a new variety of seeds for the 2025 growing season.
  • Check for cool-season weeds. You can use spot sprays to treat cool-season weeds once it gets warmer.
  • Do your research before you purchase any fruit trees.

The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is located at 210 Southpark Dr., Henderson, NC 27536

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VCS On 1-Hr. Delay For Wednesday, Jan. 15; Tuesday’s Info Sessions Postponed

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Vance County Schools will operate on a one-hour delay on Wednesday, Jan. 15.

While remnants of last weekend’s snow and ice largely have gone away, VCS chief communications officer Aarika Sandlin said Tuesday that the delay

will allow buses to operate during daylight hours, ensuring the safety of students and staff.

But other events scheduled for Tuesday afternoon and evening have been postponed, and Sandlin said announcements will be forthcoming regarding new dates for the PK/K registration sessions, as well as the Innovative Schools information sessions.

The application process for parents to register their children for one of the five Innovative Schools continues through Feb. 7.

There also will be a virtual session scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 22, during which principals of the five innovative schools will be available to answer questions and to share additional information about their programs. Find the link on the VCS website in the top right corner

The application is available on the VCS website, too. Visit  www.vcs.k12.nc.us  and click on Innovative Schools at the top of the page.

Children must be 5 years old on or before Aug. 31, 2025 to be eligible for kindergarten enrollment.

The district’s PK program provides children with foundational learning experiences that set the stage for long-term academic success. Children must be 4 years old on or before Aug. 31, 2025 to be eligible for Pre-K enrollment.

Find the PK and K applications by visiting www.vcs.k12.nc.us and clicking Enroll in the upper right corner. The district will hold open registrations at individual elementary schools on Tuesday, Jan. 14.

Virtual info sessions for PK and K will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 22 and Thursday, Jan. 23. Times will be announced at a later date, but the Wednesday session will be held during the day and the Thursday session will be held in the evening.