Tag Archive for: #hendersonnews

TownTalk: Low Dose CT Screening Can Catch Cancer Early

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Maria Parham Health is offering low-dose CT scans to screen for lung cancer, catch the disease early and provide appropriate treatment.

Much like mammograms and colonoscopies are routine tools to detect breast cancer and colon cancer, MPH Cancer Center Director Kimberly Smith said the low-dose CT is helpful for early detection.

Long-time smokers between the ages of 50 and 77 who show no signs or symptoms of lung cancer are eligible for the scans, Smith said on Monday’s Town Talk. She and MPH Social Worker Hope Breedlove told John C. Rose they hope that anyone wants to know whether they meet the criteria for the scan will call 252.506.7070 this week to learn more.

“We’re really excited to have this life-saving lung cancer test for smokers and former smokers,” Smith said. She and Breedlove want the community to be educated about what it is, especially because Vance County and the surrounding area has a high rate of lung cancer. In fact, she said, lung cancer accounts for 12.7 percent of all newly diagnosed cancers. In Vance County and the surrounding area, lung cancer is in the top three of all cancer diagnoses.

The phone line will be active through Feb. 28 at 4 p.m. Callers will be asked to leave a message with their name, date of birth, a phone number and insurance information, Smith said. A cancer center staff member will follow up within 2-3 business days and walk prospective patients through a series of questions to determine eligibility.

Insurance will pay for the scans of eligible patients, she added. And there are a certain number of scans available for those without insurance.

Not sure you are eligible? Not to worry, Smith said. “We’ll help you navigate through that.”

“The scans are a really great way for us to find out if a patient has some type of lung cancer,” Smith said. The earlier even a small spot is detected, the earlier a treatment plan can be developed and implemented. “We really want to find (it) earlier,” she said, adding that the cancer center uses a software program that monitors a patient for life.

Breedlove explained that the age range has expanded some in hopes of getting younger people screened. “We want to catch the lung cancer early,” she said.

Smith said COVID-19 has interrupted those routine screenings that are so important at early detection of disease. She encouraged everyone to get those screenings scheduled – not just the low-dose CT scans, but mammograms and endoscopies as well.

“That’s how we save people’s lives,” she said.

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SportsTalk: Coach’s Corner: WIZS Players Of The Week – Championship Recap

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Conference championships are hard to come by but Thursday night Vance County had two schools do just that.  Vance Charter’s women’s team took the Triangle North Athletic Conference Tournament Championship with a 58-47 win over Oxford Prep and Henderson Collegiate took the men’s championship with a 59-46 victory over Durham’s Voyager Academy.  Vance Charter relied on Allie Bliss’ 15 points to propel the team to victory and Henderson Collegiate’s T.J. Ragland scored 2o points in their win.  Their performances earned them WIZS Player of the Week honors.

Ragland topped his tournament average of 18 points per game in Henderson Collegiate’s win. He did have help however as Markel Lloyd contributed 18 points and Ellis Williams poured in another 8 points including two back-to-back three pointers at the beginning of the second half.  (Listen to the Audio Recap Below.) Henderson Collegiate now waits until Saturday to find out just where they will be seeded and who they will play as they pursue another state championship.

Vance Charter’s Bliss didn’t begin her basketball career as a starter but she worked hard to move up from a reserve spot and as a senior is one of the team’s leaders. She averaged 17 points per game in the conference tournament. With their conference championship win they also wait until Saturday to find out where their seeding is and who the next opponent will be as the state playoffs begin.

Congratulations to Henderson Collegiate’s T. J. Ragland and Vance Charter’s Allie Bliss. WIZS Players of the Week.  The Players of the Week can be heard every Friday at 1pm on the Coach’s Corner segment of SportsTalk on WIZS 1450am, 100.1fm and online at wizs.com.

Cooperative Extension with Jamon Glover: Supervision And Safety, Pt. 3

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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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The Local Skinny! County Water System Looking To Break Even

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Plans continue to expand county water service to the Kittrell area, and county commissioners received a project update from Manager Jordan McMillen at its January meeting.

As things stand now, construction could begin as early as fall 2022 of the Phase 1B Water District, which includes laying about 25 miles of new water lines and making upgrades to the existing Kittrell water tower.

McMillen told WIZS News Thursday that the county water project is within $10,000 of breaking even – some unexpected repairs and additional costs have pushed that break-even point out a bit, but added “we are very satisfied with the progress we have made in bringing our system to self-sufficiency the past few years.”

The recently presented audit from fiscal year 2020-21 indicated that the water fund is within $10,000 of breaking even, which represents an improvement from being nearly $20,000 the previous year.

As for the Phase 1B work being done in the Kittrell area, McMillen said if all goes according to schedule, it could be complete by November 2023.

There have been some slight delays involving permitting issues, but once those are resolved, the bids could be advertised by April 2022, awarded in July and proceed with construction in September, McMillen said.

The total construction project would be scheduled for completion by August 2023.

Federal grant and loan projects awarded to Vance County for improving the drinking water for county residents is helping to make the upgrades and extensions to county residents.

McMillen said public meetings and signup efforts will ramp up once the county is closer to the construction phase.

Some of the roads east of Kittrell that will have new water lines installed include portions of Bobbitt Road, Peter Gill Road, Abbott Road, Dick Smith Road, South Chavis Road and Kittrell Road, he said.

The Local Skinny! County Reports On Tax Collections, Audit And New Ambulance

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Vance County Commissioners accepted the audit report for 2020-21 at its January meeting, which included good news about the county’s fund balances and about tax collections. The county’s total fund balance increased by more than $4 million to $26.9 million and the unassigned fund balance increased almost $7 million to $22 million. This amount represents more than 44 percent of next year’s budget, according to the minutes of the January meeting.

Tax collections increased almost 1 percent, to 97.6 percent from 96.68 percent.

Commissioners heard from Stuart Hill representing audit firm Thompson, Price, Scott, Adams & Co. who presented the audit report.

Although there were two budget findings, both have been corrected, the minutes reflected. “There were no difficulties in performing the audit, no uncorrected misstatements and no disagreements with management,” according to the minutes.

The unassigned fund balance increased from $15.3 million to $22.0 million, which is “well within the range that is recommended  by the Local Government Commission,” the minutes stated.

Tax collections increased from 96.68% to 97.60%. The total property valuation is $2,963,958,764 and the total levy amount is $26,533,277.

After discussion, motion was made by Commissioner Dan Brummitt to receive the FY  2020-21 Audit Report as presented. This motion was seconded by Commissioner Thomas S.  Hester, Jr. and unanimously approved.

Finance Director Katherine Bigelow also presented information to commissioners regarding the purchase of a new ambulance during her report at the January meeting. Three bids were considered, but recommended was the bid from Northwestern Emergency Vehicles for about $264,230.

Brummitt made a motion to accept the bid proposal, seconded by

Hester, to purchase a 2022 Ford F550 4 X 4 Type 1 ambulance from Northwestern. A budget amendment of $4,230 also was approved to reach the complete purchase price.

 

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TownTalk: Taking Care of Your Heart

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Dr. Mohammed Akhter, an interventional cardiologist at Maria Parham Health is helping promote the American Heart Association’s theme to “reclaim your rhythm” during the February observance of heart health awareness.

No one can deny the impact that COVID-19 has had on our brains and our hearts, Akhter told John C. Rose on Wednesday’s Town Talk. He encourages everyone to focus again on health lifestyles that can have a positive effect on our physical and mental health.

When gyms and restaurants shut down at the onset of the pandemic in 2020, it was more than just an inconvenience, Akhter said.

It’s time to get back in the groove of those lifestyle habits like regular exercise, eating healty foods and enjoying the social interactions with family and others.

During the pandemic, he said, “we couldn’t go to the gym, we were ordering food online and not socially interacting with our loved ones – that has a major effect on our health.”
The AHA made a fundamental plea to the public, he said. “Now is the time to get back to the rhythm – exercise more, eat better and spend more time with your families.”

Those are concrete examples of steps to take to improve health and reduce stress. But  diagnostic tests performed by medical professionals are needed to determine if high blood pressure or elevated cholesterol levels may also be affecting your overall heart health.

Akhter said that 1 in 2 U.S. adults have hypertension – high blood pressure – but only 1 in 4 have it under control.

He recommends that his patients try to consume less than 2 grams of sodium a day, which may mean scrutinizing food labels. In addition, he recommends 30 minutes of exercise most days, limiting alcohol use and taking medicine that is prescribed for hypertension.

Women and African Americans are two groups that are underrepresented in heart studies, he said.

Maria Parham Health promoted National Wear Red Day on Feb. 4 as a way to “express a solidarity with women who are at risk for cardiovascular disease. He said it’s the number one killer in women.

Women may experience different symptoms than men, he said, adding that is a contributing factor to the under-diagnosis of heart disease in women.

Similarly, African Americans are underrepresented in studies of heart health.

The goal is equitable health for all, Akhter said, who said that in his practice, he works hard to tailor therapies to the individual patients.

 

Home And Garden Show

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

THIS WEEK IN THE GARDEN

  • When doing pruning always remember PPE is always needed.
  • When purchasing vegetable transplants, look for stocky, deep green plants with healthy roots. If possible, select plants with no or few flowers.
  • Garden Tiller hard to start roll it outside in sunshine may help it start
  • Check your lawn for cool season weeds. They may be very tiny, but the warm spell over the next few days will present a good treatment window.
  • On warm days 70F or warmer provide ventilation in greenhouses and cold frames if growing plants in them.
  • Be sure to include some herb plants in your spring planting plans. Herbs like dill, basil, cilantro and others are easy to grow. The taste is unparalleled and they will also help out beneficial insects.
  • We have excellent gardening publications at Cooperative Extension
  • If you’re thinking about planting shrubs this spring, there’s no reason to wait. Planting them early gives more time for root growth before summer heat arrives.
  • Always check moisture level of garden soil before tilling that soil