Tag Archive for: #hendersonnews

TownTalk: Coker Takes Over As Chief Of Animal Services

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The vast majority of pet owners do the right thing and provide everything their animals need to live healthy, happy lives as furry members of the family.

And while Vance County’s new Animal Services Chief William Coker acknowledges this to be the case, he said that for those pet owners who don’t, there are county ordinances in place to protect animals.

“I think the biggest thing is educating the community on proper animal welfare and the county ordinances” in place to protect animals from maltreatment.

Once a dog is placed in a pen or put on a chain in the yard, it instantly becomes totally dependent on people for food, water and shelter. And it’s up to Coker and his officers to make sure all the animals in the county are afforded the minimum standards.

He said he chooses to de-escalate situations that may involve improper pet treatment, but he’s not afraid to fall back on county ordinances. Dogs must have a dog house, for example, and access to fresh water and they must be fed once a day – those are the minimum standards in place for the county’s canines.

After animal services officers give pet owners a couple of warnings and still fail to comply, the officers can issue citations.

Educating the community can come in many forms, Coker said on Wednesday’s TownTalk: he said he’d like to get into the schools and talk to young people about proper animal care. He also said he wants to emphasize getting dogs and cats spayed and neutered to reduce the unwanted pet population.

When his officers go out on a call, he asks that they promote the spay/neuter program, which often can be at a reduced cost for those that qualify.

Coker said he’s always had a passion for animals, and when he learned of an opening at animal services, he applied and was hired on in 2013. He worked with former chief Frankie Nobles for five years, and he said he learned a lot from his time working alongside Nobles.

He and Nobles stay in close contact and Coker said it’s reassuring to know that Nobles, now the county’s Special Projects Coordinator, is just a phone call away.

“I don’t like seeing animals mistreated,” Coker said. Just the other day, he came to work and found a dog tied outside the office door. As much as he hates for that to happen, he said the alternative – just turning the dog loose – wasn’t a good option either.

“As long as I’m chief of animal services, I’ll never turn away a surrender.”

Learn more about Vance County Animal Services at https://www.vancecounty.org/departments/animal-control/

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Home And Garden Show

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

  • January is the inventory season to check your seed chemicals, garden equipment.
  • If you are shopping for lawn & garden equipment, consider the rechargeable options.
  • Plan landscape projects now
  • When planning landscape projects, consider impacts on tree root zones.
  • Write down garden problems you had in 2023 Contact Cooperative Extension.
  • Begin monitoring lawns for cool season weeds
  • Check pruning equipment now!
  • Visit public gardens even in winter!
  • Construct a small greenhouse.

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Granville Vance Public Health Logo

TownTalk: Healthy Moms And Healthy Babies

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Have you heard of something called “centering pregnancy?” It’s a practice that’s been around since the 1990’s, and it is a way for expectant mothers to have support from health care professionals and other pregnant moms as they prepare for the moment that they deliver their newborn.

Granville Vance Public Health offers Centering Pregnancy through its clinics and GVPH Director Lisa Harrison said it’s something that’s been blazing trails across rural areas in the U.S. when it comes to maternal health.

“You have to be accredited as an agency to provide centering pregnancy,” Harrison said on Tuesday’s TownTalk. It’s designed for women with low- to moderate-risk pregnancies and it can help reduce the risk of health issues like high blood pressure and gestational diabetes, among other things.

“It’s exciting work,” she said, to provide an environment where women can learn and come together in a group setting. Women who participate in the program get one-on-one time with health care professionals, but they also join in small-group sessions where they can ask questions and learn from each other.

“It empowers women to be actively involved in their own health care decision-making,” she noted.

The Centering pregnancy program does not take the place of prenatal care that women receive elsewhere, and Harrison said it’s designed to complement the care that women receive from their own providers.

Given the health disparities that exist, especially among underserved populations, Harrison said this program offered by the health department is just one intervention to address maternal and infant mortality.

“It’s a way to set mom and baby up for the best outcomes,” she said.

In addition to the small group sessions during pregnancy, GVPH nurses also make home visits once mom and her newborn are home from the hospital. This service offers support to make sure mom and baby have the resources they need, and can connect them to additional resources to help them survive and thrive.

Harrison is no stranger to identifying best practices to support maternal and infant health. In fact, she and a colleague have recently written a chapter on this very topic for a book titled The Practical Playbook III. The first edition was published in 2019, and since then, it has become widely used among public health professionals.

When it comes to improving outcomes for maternal and infant health, it’s important for communities and providers to know what it takes – the policies and practices put in place – to support maternal health, she explained.

Community collaboration is “a critical piece of the safety net,” Harrison said.

To learn more, visit https://www.gvph.org/clinic/maternal-health-clinic/.

 

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Stein Visit Cancelled Today; Organizers Hope To Reschedule

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N.C. gubernatorial candidate Josh Stein’s scheduled visit to Henderson this afternoon has been postponed because of the threat of severe weather forecast for later today.

Vance County Democratic Chairperson Angela Thornton told WIZS News earlier Tuesday.

“We look forward to coordinating with his campaign for a rescheduled date,” Thornton said in a written statement to WIZS.

Stein is the current state attorney general.

 

TownTalk: Rise Against Hunger Pack-A-Thon Set For Monday, Jan. 15; Volunteers Needed

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Volunteers from area churches and other organizations are joining forces on the upcoming Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to pack food that will be used to feed hungry people across the world.

Sandra Wiggins is one of the event organizers and she said that over the course of four hours or so on Monday, Jan. 15, she expects to be able to pack 60,000 meals for Rise Against Hunger.

“We did 30,000 in about three or four hours last year,” Wiggins said on Monday’s TownTalk. “We know we can definitely hit this mark this year – we’re just really excited to do this…on Martin Luther King Day,” she said.

The Rise Against Hunger pack-a-thon will take place at the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Wiggins represents The First Baptist Church of Henderson, but she said numerous churches and school groups from Henderson and Oxford are signed up to participate as well.

So far, the following groups are participating: First Baptist Church, First United Methodist Church, Henderson, South Henderson Pentecostal Holiness Church, Oxford Preparatory School, Flat Rock United Methodist Church, Fuller Chapel, Davis Chapel, South Henderson Church of God, Clearview Church and Cornerstone Christian Community Church. Wiggins said Vance Charter School and Oxford United Methodist Church plans to send volunteers as well.

“This is really a community event,” Wiggins said. About 100 people have signed up so far, and there’s still time to register – they need several hundred volunteers to sign up to work a two-hour shift. The first shift is from 10 a.m. to 12 noon and the second shift is from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Participants should report to the civic center and sign in, and from there, they’ll head to a packing station where they will help measure out individual bags of rice, seasonings and vitamins.

Most of the food packs will be transported overseas, but Wiggins said some are kept here in the U.S. for use when disaster strikes.

Register or give online at events.riseagainsthunger.org/VGMLK24. There’s a $25,000 fundraising goal that goes along with the pack-a-thon. Wiggins said $45 provides 100 meals.

But the event is about more than packing nutritional food and sending it to impoverished areas across the world.

Wiggins said next week’s event also shines a light on two local organizations that work to fight hunger right here in Vance and Granville counties.

She invites all participants to the Rise Against Hunger event to bring canned goods or other non-perishable items to be delivered to ACTS and ACIM, the food bank in Oxford.

Wiggins shared one of her favorite quotes attributed to King, the slain Civil rights leader whose work is honored and remembered on Jan. 15.

“Love has to be put into action and that action is service,” Wiggins said, adding that “when we have the ability to do, we should.”

Henderson Man Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison On Drugs, Weapons Charges

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-information courtesy of the office of Eastern District of North Carolina U.S. Attorney Michael Easley

A Henderson man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for trafficking fentanyl and possession of firearms, including a firearm loaded with a large capacity magazine, and U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina praised the efforts of local police for their help in the case.

Tyrik Pettaway, 21, pled guilty in July 2023 to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a quantity of heroin and fentanyl and possession with the intent to distribute a quantity of heroin and fentanyl, according to information released Monday by the Eastern District office of U.S. Attorney Michael Easley.

“The unwavering dedication and relentless efforts of the Henderson Police Department have been instrumental in upholding justice and ensuring the safety of our community,” Easley said in the press statement. “Their exemplary commitment to teamwork among state and federal law enforcement is commendable and emboldens public trust in our justice system.”

“Our collaboration with the Eastern District of North Carolina U.S. Attorney’s Office continues to benefit our community,” commented Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow. “The efforts of all involved are evident. I am hopeful this sentence gives pause to those in our community walking a similar path.”

 

According to court documents and other information presented in court, after receiving multiple reports that Pettaway and Neno King were dealing drugs, law enforcement conducted multiple controlled purchases of suspected heroin containing fentanyl from Pettaway and King in the spring of 2022. In March 2022, agents executed a search warrant at a residence used by Pettaway in Henderson where they recovered a firearm with a large capacity magazine and approximately 1,100 dosage units of a substance containing fentanyl, rifle ammunition, marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Pettaway has prior felony convictions for possession of a stolen firearm (2020), possession with the intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver heroin (2020 and 2021), and breaking and entering to terrorize (2020). King pled guilty to drug trafficking and gun charges in March 2023 and was sentenced in August to 180 months in prison.

 

Democratic Party

TownTalk: NC Gubernatorial Candidate Josh Stein Coming To Henderson Jan. 9

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UPDATE 1-9-24:

N.C. gubernatorial candidate Josh Stein’s scheduled visit to Henderson this afternoon has been postponed because of the threat of severe weather forecast for later today.

Vance County Democratic Chairperson Angela Thornton told WIZS News earlier Tuesday.

“We look forward to coordinating with his campaign for a rescheduled date,” Thornton said in a written statement to WIZS.

Stein is the current state attorney general.

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ORIGINAL POST:

Blue may be the dominant color at next week’s meet and greet for one of the Democratic candidates for governor, but local party officials invite the entire community to Perry Memorial Library on Tuesday, Jan. 9 – no matter their party preference.

Joseph Brodie, first vice president of the Vance County Democratic Party, said Thursday that current N.C. Attorney General and gubernatorial hopeful Josh Stein will be in Henderson to meet voters and discuss the upcoming elections.

“All the public is invited to come down if they want to hear what Attorney General Josh Stein is going to be putting on the table,” Brodie said on Thursday’s TownTalk. “They can hear it for themselves.”

The doors open at 5 p.m. and the event begins at 5:30 p.m. Brodie said this visit does not constitute an endorsement by local party leaders. “We have the door open for all our Democratic candidates to come down and introduce themselves to the voters of Vance County,” he explained.

With the March primary elections fast approaching, Brodie said he is pleased with the progress that is being made within the local Democratic Party.

“I feel real good,” he said. “The Vance County Democratic Party has come a long way…people are in place, working together for one common cause – to elect Democrats, not only in Vance County, but in surrounding areas.”

Brodie said the focus now is in organizing the local precincts so that voters can get important information concerning candidates and races.

“We’re always striving for excellence,” Brodie noted, adding that more work needs to be done.

 

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Maria Parham To Host Jan. 24 Open House For New Nurses

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Maria Parham Health invites nursing students or recent graduates of nursing programs to an Open House on Wednesday, Jan. 24 to learn about career opportunities in the health care industry.

The event will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the hospital’s main campus, 566 Ruin Creek Rd., according to information from MPH Market Coordinator Donna Young.

Prospective nurses will get the chance to speak with experienced nurses and health care leaders as they learn more about job opportunities and a variety of career paths that involve nursing.

Visit https://www.mariaparham.com/event/42 to register online.

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