Tag Archive for: #hendersonnews

Salvation Army

TownTalk: Annual Salvation Army Red Kettle Season Kicks Off

/by

As if on cue, November 15 provided a crisp backdrop to the morning’s Red Kettle Season Kickoff, and dozens from the community showed up outside Belk to take the opportunity to drop in the first donations of the Christmas season.

The Vance County High School chorus provided several seasonal and inspirational selections for the Salvation Army kickoff event to add an air of excitement and joy to the chilly morning’s festivities.

Whether you’re someone who hauls out the holly and puts up the tree before Thanksgiving or you’re one of those die-hards who prefers to wait until December to think about Christmas plans, you’re likely to run across a few Red Kettles and bell ringers during the next 40 days.

Alongside the iconic Salvation Army symbol of giving, the bell ringers invite shoppers to donate during the holiday season to help provide food and gifts to seniors and children across Vance County and the surrounding counties it serves.

Kettle donations “help us provide clothing and toys for children at Christmas time,” said Maj. Beth Mallard. But more than 200 senior adults also have signed up to receive food baskets, Mallard said Friday, and the funds are used to feed more than 500 people each month, all year long.

“When you walk by, make sure you drop something in the bucket,” she said.

The kettles ignite a spirit of generosity in our community, said Margier White, chair of the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce board. “Each bell that rings this season (is) not just signalling a donation,” White said, “it’s a connection that we make with people who are in need.

Placing any donation – coins or bills – represents love, kindness and community support, she said.

The Salvation Army kettle is “more than just a container – it represents hope for families facing hardships.”

Call Mallard at 252.438.7107 if you’d like information about volunteering to be a bell ringer during the holiday season. You, your church or civic group can also sponsor a kettle, or participate in the Angel Tree project at https://www.tsamm.org/angeltree.

Click Play!

TownTalk: ‘Shop With A Cop And Friends’ Reception: Fun With A Purpose

/by

Wednesday’s celebratory reception for the Shop With a Cop and Friends program was sprinkled with laughter, music and levity, but the underlying message shone clearly in remarks by everybody from Chamber President Sandra Wilkerson on down to local law enforcement leaders – it’s all for the kids.

“This is what we do and what we get excited about,” Wilkerson said as she kicked off the official part of the program, thanking sponsors and providing details about the actual shopping day – Friday, Dec. 20.

Shopping Day is a special, special day, she said, adding that law enforcement officers and others will join “the other million people” taking care of last-minute shopping at the Henderson Walmart.

But Vance County Schools students don’t start their holiday break until lunchtime on that day, so Wilkerson said they’ll get going about 3 p.m.

“Hopefully, we’ll be able to deliver you a check like we did last year,” Wilkerson said to Sheriff Curtis Brame, Police Chief Marcus Barrow and Fire Chief Tim Twisdale, referring to the $15,000 that the program got to share with children on their shopping spree.

Shop With a Cop is a memorable experience for the children, but it’s also something adults are sure to remember as well, Brame said, “to see the excitement in children’s eyes” as they stroll the aisles.

But it’s also a humbling experience, he said, to see kids who want to buy gifts for their parents and siblings instead of for themselves.

Chief Barrow recalled that the department started the program some years ago, a small-scale effort to give back to those in need. When the Chamber president approached the department with the idea of forming a partnership, it was a no-brainer. The first year of that partnership raised about $6,000, he said, and has ballooned to $15,000 under Wilkerson and her team.

“We’ve gotten so much support,” Barrow said. “It’s more than Shop With a Cop – it’s a partnership” that involves the Department of Social Services, Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks, the City Council, city manager, county manager, among all the other community supporters.

A highlight of the event was finding out who won the cash prizes associated with the 180 raffle tickets that were sold – four cash prizes were awarded – $200, $500, $1,000 and the top prize of $2,000.

As each name was drawn, Wilkerson easily called them out:

Juanita Sommerville, Kendrick Vann, Hal Muetzel. (Congratulations, by the way!)

But the $2,000 winner had her puzzled, and she may have not wanted to admit it, but she said she didn’t recognize the name: Sam…Citgo?

After a few failed attempts from the gathering to claim the prize, however, the picture became clear. HPD’s Tony Mills spoke up from the crowd to say he stopped by the gas station, “and the rascal bought three tickets.”

Citgo wasn’t the person’s last name – it was his place of business. So, Sam from Citgo, the purchase of three tickets paid off.

Click Play!

Cooperative Extension With Wayne Rowland: Native Plants

/by

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.

Click Play! 

SportsTalk: Vance County vs. Western Alamance Preview

/by

UPDATE – FINAL SCORE 

Western Alamance 36 

Vance County 31 

Vipers finish the season at 9-2 

RECAP MONDAY ON SPORTSTALK 

••••••••••••••••••••••••• 

SportsTalk on WIZS 12:30 p.m. M-Th 

Scout Hughes and George Hoyle sit down on SportsTalk to talk about the upcoming playoff game between Vance County and Western Alamance, in addition to other playoff games happening in our area. The guys also take a look at the new ADM numbers that came out on Wednesday and see where Vance County lines up.

Vance County travels to Western Alamance for the first round of the North Carolina 3A Football State Playoffs on Friday, November 15th and you can hear all the action on WIZS 1450AM, 100.1FM, and online at wizs.com with pregame starting at 6:50 p.m. and kickoff thereafter at 7:00 p.m. 

CLICK PLAY! 

Maria Parham Health

Maria Parham Health Earns Another ‘A’ For Hospital Safety From Leapfrog Group

/by

 

– information courtesy of Maria Parham Health Public Information Officer Donna Young

Maria Parham Health has been awarded an “A” Hospital Safety Grade by The Leapfrog Group, an independent nonprofit organization committed to improving health care quality and safety. The recognition places Maria Parham Health among the top performing hospitals nationwide for patient safety.

Leapfrog assigns safety grades to hospitals based on more than 30 performance measures, including incidents of errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as the hospital’s systems to prevent such events. The “A” grade reflects the hospital’s commitment to reducing preventable harm to patients and delivering high-quality care.

“We are extremely proud to earn an ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group,” said Bert Beard, CEO of Maria Parham Health. “This recognition speaks to the incredible dedication and hard work of our physicians, nurses, staff, and volunteers who put patient safety at the forefront of everything they do. At Maria Parham Health, our patients are our priority, and this grade underscores our ongoing commitment to making communities healthier and providing the highest level of care in a safe environment.”

Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, congratulated Maria Parham Health for its dedication to patient safety. “Achieving an ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade is a significant accomplishment for Maria Parham Health,” said Binder. “It reflects enormous dedication to your patients and their families, and your whole community should be proud. I extend my congratulations to Maria Parham Health, its leadership, clinicians, staff, and volunteers for their tireless efforts to put patients first.”

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only national rating program focused exclusively on preventable medical errors, injuries, accidents, and infections that lead to more than 500 patient deaths daily in the United States. The program is peer-reviewed, transparent and updated each fall and spring. This recognition emphasizes Maria Parham Health’s commitment to providing safe, quality care to all patients.

For more information on Maria Parham Health’s grade or to explore tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit https://www.hospitalsafetygrade.org/

VGCC Logo

The Local Skinny! Workforce and Continuing Education Open House at VGCC

/by

Vance-Granville Community College is hosting a Workforce and Continuing Education Open House at the Henderson campus on Saturday, Nov. 16.

School representatives will be on hand from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. to help prospective students learn more about the programs available across the four campuses.

Whether pursuing opportunities after high school or looking for a career change, VGCC may have just what you’re looking for.

According to the VGCC website, Continuing Education classes are designed for adults looking to enhance their job skills, update their knowledge or pursue personal interests.

Learn about the diverse program that VGCC offers, including Commercial Driver’s License, Healthcare, Public Safety, Welding and Business, just to name a few. Faculty members will be on hand to share additional program information and participants can attend break-out sessions about specific fields and certifications they may be interested in pursuing.

And to top it all off, you can get help with registration, financial aid and setting up your student account – all on the same day.

The Open House will be held in Building 7 at the Main Campus, located at 200 Community College Rd., Henderson.

Visit www.vgcc.edu and click on Latest News and Upcoming Events tabs to learn more.

CLICK PLAY! 

Vance Co. Regional Farmers Market

Handcrafted Holiday Market Saturday, Nov. 16 At Vance Regional Farmers Market

/by

The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is hosting its annual Handcrafted Holiday Market tomorrow, from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. and there’s sure to be something for everyone to enjoy!

The much-anticipated holiday event transforms the market with a variety of homemade gifts sprinkled amid the bounty from fall gardens.

In addition to handmade crafts, vendors have skin care products, jewelry, quilts and more – it’s a great time to find the perfect gift for everyone on your shopping list.

But Market Manager Pat Ayscue says you can also shop for locally sourced meats and produce, too – there’s beef, pork, chicken, lamb, local honey, cabbage, collards, turnip salad and the best jellies, pickles, tomatoes and fall apples around!

Live Christmas music giving the sound of the season and the air will be filled with chatter from seeing old friends and the joy of making new friends.

The farmers market is located at 210 Southpark Dr. in Henderson.

TownTalk: Farmers Appreciation Day Celebration

/by

The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is located close to where Leo Kelly remembers his family farmed. They weren’t big farmers, Kelly told a group gathered at the farmers market Thursday for the inaugural Farmers Appreciation Day in Vance County, but he remembers chickens, hogs and having spring, summer and fall gardens.

Kelly, vice chair of the Vance County Board of Commissioners, joined others to recognize the importance of farmers, farming and agriculture. In 2023, the Legislature set aside the second Thursday in November as Farmers Appreciation Day.

N.C. Rep. Frank Sossamon said the observance is a way to help people understand how farmers and farming affects them daily. These days, fewer people live near farms or don’t personally know farmers.

“Agriculture is more than planting corn and beans,” Sossamon said. It’s agritourism, small farmers producing specialty crops and more.

Vance County’s N.C. Cooperative Extension director Dr. Wykia Macon said she and her staff are always looking for ways to foster among young people an appreciation for agriculture and for farmers and to encourage them to get into agriculture.

Horticulture Agent Mike Ellington said he foresees changes in agriculture, but what remains, he believes, is the “sense of place, of purpose, community that agriculture creates.”

Vance County Commissioner Archie Taylor said he grew up on a farm and it helped shape the person he became.

“As I think about the professions we have,” he said, “no profession teaches our young kids more about hard work than farming.”

With the rise of urbanization, he said, fewer family farms meant that young folks didn’t have the “opportunity” to pitch in with chores like feeding livestock, chopping wood and all the other daily tasks a farm requires.

Taylor said he learned a lot from farm life, including “teaching me to get up in the morning, get started and get working.”

CLICK PLAY!