Tag Archive for: #localnewsaudio

TownTalk 04-22-21 Vaccines, Restrictions, Latest in NC

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TownTalk Broadcast Audio 4-22-21

The base of information for TownTalk 4-22-21 comes from the following press release from the State of North Carolina, Governor Roy Cooper and NCDHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen.

April 21, 2021 Press Release

Governor Cooper Outlines Timeline for Lifting State’s COVID-19 Restrictions
As vaccinations continue and trends stabilize, NC will lift mandatory social distancing, capacity, and mass gathering restrictions by June 1

Governor Roy Cooper and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D. laid out a timeline for lifting current pandemic restrictions today. With stable trends and continued vaccination success, the state expects to lift mandatory social distancing, capacity, and mass gathering restrictions by June 1. The Governor plans to issue an executive order next week outlining safety restrictions for the month of May.

“Each shot in an arm is a step closer to putting this pandemic in the rearview mirror,” said Governor Cooper. “North Carolinians have shown up for each other throughout this entire pandemic and we need to keep up that commitment by getting our vaccines.”

North Carolina continues to focus on distributing vaccines quickly and equitably. This fast and fair approach to getting shots in arms is the best way to beat this pandemic, protect one another, boost the economy and make it possible for restrictions to be lifted.

To date, the state has administered over 6.5 million vaccines. 46.9 percent of adults are at least partially vaccinated, and 35.1 percent are fully vaccinated. More than 76 percent of people 65 and older have had at least one shot.

With vaccine now widely available across the state – often with no wait for an appointment, all North Carolinians 16 and older can plan to take their shot. The state anticipates lifting the mask mandate and easing other public health recommendations, once two thirds of adult North Carolinians have received at least one vaccine dose and if trends remain stable.

“We are at an exciting moment. We now have enough vaccine for everyone,” said Secretary Cohen. “If you are 16 and older, it is your turn to join the more than 3.6 million North Carolinians who have already taken their first shot. It’s up to you to get us to the two thirds goal as quickly as possible so we can live with this virus and begin to put this pandemic behind us.”

Gov. Cooper and Sec. Cohen urged North Carolinians continue to get vaccinated and exercise good judgment even when restrictions are lifted. Businesses should continue to follow voluntary health recommendations and North Carolinians should continue to take safety measures in order to boost the economy, keep children in schools and protect each other.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released statistics indicating that North Carolina is among the states with the fewest deaths and fewest job losses per capita.

State health officials are continuing to monitor the presence of COVID-19 and its more contagious variants in North Carolina, which is why it is important to continue to follow the state’s mask mandate and continue to practice safety precautions, including the Three Ws—wear a mask, wait 6 feet apart, and wash hands often.

If you avidly follow the latest information in North Carolina about covid, the following press release from North Carolina came out Thursday, April 22, 2021 AFTER TownTalk was already complete.

NCDHHS Announces Summer Community Get-out-the-Vaccine Campaign
Initiative Aims to Vaccinate Majority of North Carolina’s Adults by Summer

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced the Bringing Summer Back get-out-the-vaccine campaign that will engage community organizations across the state to fully vaccinate as many people as possible by summer.

To date, more than 3.6 million adults in North Carolina have been vaccinated with at least one dose. While the state has made great progress in helping people schedule and get to their vaccine appointments, more than half of the adult population is still completely unvaccinated, putting them at higher risk of contracting and spreading the virus.

Being fully vaccinated means getting back to hugging loved ones who are also fully vaccinated, gathering with fully vaccinated friends and family and going to small indoor gatherings with less worry. Getting the majority of North Carolina’s adults vaccinated by summer means getting back to the summer activities we all love — like backyard gatherings with families and friends, public fireworks, outdoor festivals or parades — all without wearing masks.

The Bringing Summer Back campaign is a fun, flexible and community-centered approach that creates a space for every organization and individual to roll up their sleeves and do their part to stop the spread of COVID-19 and get everyone back to the people and places they love. The campaign will run during two weeks in May (May 9–15 and May 16–21) and two weeks in June (June 6–12 and June 20–26), during which organizations across the state will rally together to promote vaccination.

Organizations can get involved in a number of ways:

    • Organize volunteer days: Invite members, volunteers and others to participate in a day(s) of phone banking, door knocking or other forms of outreach to the communities they serve.
    • Distribute resources: Notify communities about efforts to help people get COVID-19 vaccine appointments through emails, social media or other creative ways.
    • Host a get-out-the-vaccine challenge: Create friendly competition. See who can reach out to the most people via phone, door knocking, social media or other ways. Offer an incentive to get people motivated and involved.
    • Get creative: Come up with your own approach to encourage people to get vaccinated.

Organizations that would like to get involved can register to participate and access toolkit materials at covid19.ncdhhs.gov/BringSummerBack (Spanish: covid19.ncdhhs.gov/Devueltaalverano) or by emailing BringingSummerBack@dhhs.nc.gov.

The toolkit offers simple, specific steps everyone can take to navigate people to an appointment, such as calling loved ones who haven’t been vaccinated yet, sharing their experience on social media and asking if anyone needs support in getting vaccinated.

For more information about COVID-19 vaccines in North Carolina, visit YourSpotYourShot.nc.gov or call the state’s COVID-19 Vaccine Help Center at 888-675-4567. Appointments can be made by visiting myspot.nc.gov. 

The Local Skinny! Apr 21 Home And Garden Show

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WIZS, Your Community Voice.  Thank you for listening!

The Local Skinny! each Wednesday on WIZS is the Vance County Cooperative Extension Service Home and Garden Show.

 

TownTalk 04-21-21 Tasker Fleming, Front Porch Bluegrass

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Tune in to WIZS on Sunday, May 2 at 6 p.m. to set your toes to tappin’ as the radio station airs a new program called “Front Porch Bluegrass” hosted by Tasker Fleming. Fleming grew up in the area and spent part of his career in education right here in Vance County.

Fleming sat down – virtually – with Town Talk’s John C. Rose Wednesday and talked about growing up in Vance and Warren counties and how music has been a part of his life over the years.

He spent 36 years teaching math and coaching sports and recently retired in the Albemarle area. He started Front Porch Bluegrass, an hour-long show that airs on his local station WSPC AM 1010 and FM 107.3.

“I just like the story as much as the fast pickin’ ” of bluegrass, he said. This particular genre of music started out as Everyman’s music, he noted, and said he likes to think that his efforts are a way to help preserve the music as well as entertain listeners.

“I invite people to tell me what they like,” he said. Send requests to frontporch21@yahoo.com.

Listeners will hear a mixture of very new music, with additional timeless classics and even some vintage tunes from the ‘40’s and ‘50’s.

Fleming’s interest in bluegrass and other forms of music goes back to his childhood. He ordered his first instrument – a banjo – from the J.C. Penney catalog after attending the Earl Scruggs Revue in Afton, NC.

“I’ve never made a penny with music,” he said, “but I was hooked.”

He picked up the mandolin more recently and, until COVID-19, played with a group of local musicians who entertained at nursing homes near his home. The residents enjoyed the visits from Mountain Creek Connection, listening to familiar bluegrass and gospel favorites. And Fleming enjoyed watching them sing along.

Fleming recalled fondly evenings at Marie’s in the Epsom community – a service station-turned-music venue where locals gathered on to listen and play on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. “I grew up there, listening to the music,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun being around the music.”

Fleming’s father turned the old theater in Warrenton into a civic auditorium and gospel groups would play there on Sunday afternoons. Fleming ran the concessions for these events and recalled one time when Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys were scheduled to perform. But Monroe ended up in the hospital in Nashville. Mac Wiseman filled in and did well, Fleming said, adding that he even brought the singer a meal of a burger and fries from the locally famous Burger Barn.

“I was his leg man to get him lunch or dinner – he was just a nice guy,” Fleming said.

Learn more about Front Porch Bluegrass at frontporchbluegrass.com or follow on Facebook.

TownTalk Broadcast Audio with Tasker Fleming, the full and entertaining half hour!

 

Jackson Pleased With Students’ Return, Discusses Upcoming Events, Plans

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Vance County students have been back in school buildings for about a month, and Superintendent Dr. Anthony Jackson said the two main things the district is focused on – educating children in a safe environment – are going pretty well. So far, there have been no COVID-19 clusters, very few cases in schools and zero spread.

Jackson credits the district’s teachers, administrators and staff, as well as parents and the students themselves for a smooth transition from all remote instruction to face-to-face instruction in classrooms. He spoke to John C. Rose on Town Talk Tuesday about what’s coming up for families and students, including graduations, end-of-year assessments and summer school plans.

If there is a silver lining to pandemic restrictions, abrupt closing of in-person instruction and surge in virtual learning, Jackson said this school year has been a time to allow school districts “to do things differently and more in line with what our kids need.” He is determined to not allow COVID-19 to be cause for any type of punishment for the students in his charge.

Graduations will take place on May 24 at Vance County High School.

“We decided that we could offer something a little closer to a traditional graduation,” Jackson said. The graduations will be ticketed events, he said, and all participants will be required to follow all safety protocols, including wearing masks. The larger classes – Vance County High School and AdVance – will use the stadium for their graduations; Vance County Early College and V3 will hold graduations in the gym, he said.

Jackson said the graduations will be live-streamed for those family and loved ones who are not able to attend in person. Visit www.vcs.k12.nc.us to learn more.

Although students will be taking state-mandated end-of-grade tests, Jackson said the state has said the school district will not be getting the annual report card of overall student proficiency. “We’ll get to see our kids’ proficiency,” he said, which can show learning that did take place, albeit in less-than-ideal circumstances. “We need the data so we can plan instruction for our kids,” he said.

District leaders currently are planning the summer program which will be offered to each student. That extended-learning plan should be ready to give to parents in the next few weeks.

Jackson said the district maintains its focus on clear promotion standards for students, but said it is important to take into account that there may be gaps in learning and loss of time. Flexibility is key, he noted, when discussing promotion and retention. He said shifting certain curriculum standards from one grade to the next may be a way to make sure standards aren’t skipped “We need to make sure we are very intentional to look where gaps are,” Jackson said.

The summer program will be a time to “rebuild and reconnect,” he said, and help students recover that time they lost during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jackson said the extended-learning program this summer will provide a “robust push” for students to have a chance at recovering lost instructional time.

The V3 school is a model that will be continued as an alternative for parents who want to be more involved in their child’s learning. This model blends personalized learning with school-based learning and may be a good option for parents who want their child to have a personalized pathway, but don’t want to pursue home-schooling.

“There are some children who thrive in a 1-to-1 virtual environment,” Jackson noted, adding that V3 is open to families who live outside Vance County. There is an application process and he said V3 principal Dr. Jessica Perry welcomes inquiries.

 

The Local Skinny! For April 20 Jobs In Vance

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Jobs in Vance, in cooperation with the Henderson Vance Chamber of Commerce, for the Week of April 20

 

Mako Medical Labratory

The Medical Laboratory Technologist position is responsible for assay development and performing a full range of examinations and analyses, recording, interpreting, and result reporting of tests on human body fluids, tissues, and clinical specimens. This position will be integrally involved in development of new tests and troubleshooting of the existing tests.  This position will require a 4 year degree and certified as a Med Tech or Medical Laboratory Tech.  Contact Tana Chamberlain at tchamberlain@makomedical.com

 

Rose Mart

Cashiers are needed immediately at the Rose Mart convenience store on 101 North Cooper Drive in Henderson.  Please come to the store to apply.

 

Cook Shack Catering in Bunn, NC is currently seeking new employees to expand the staff!!

Must be: hard working; self motivated; passionate about serving others; able to work nights & weekends.

Call or message Tracey for more details. 919-497-0669

 

Broadcast Audio of The Local Skinny! Jobs in Vance Report

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kerr Tar Workforce and NCWorks

TownTalk 4-19-21; Kerr-Tar Roundtable Hosts Re-Entry Resource Fair

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An upcoming resource fair in Henderson may be just the spot to learn about services available to help people who are recently released from prison.

The Kerr-Tar Re-Entry Roundtable is scheduled for Wednesday, April 21 at the Aycock Recreation Center, 307 Carey Chapel Road. The event will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is designed to provide resources to individuals or family members who need to find ways to help loved ones have a successful return to their community after they have served their sentences in correctional facilities.

James Johnson, program director for the Raleigh-based Family Resource Center South Atlantic, and Desiree Brooks, business services manager for the Kerr-Tar workforce development board, discussed the upcoming event with John C. Rose on Monday’s Town Talk.

Brooks and Johnson said the resource fair is designed for anyone recently released from prison who may need help getting back on their feet, from finding a place to live to getting help finding a job.

“We really want to help,” Johnson said, adding that this is one way to show those with prison records that there is hope for life after prison. “We’re going help you get to where you need to go,” he added.

There’s no need to make an appointment – just go to Aycock Recreation Center to learn about available resources. Lunch also will be provided to all participants.

Johnson’s program can start helping people as much as six months before they are released from prison. Family members can provide basic information to get the process started so there is a support system in place when the prisoner is released.

Brooks said participants also can learn about job opportunities from the Kerr-Tar workforce development resource table.

“We’ll be able to talk to people and let them know about employers that are willing to give them that second chance.” She said there are many employers in the five-county region Kerr-Tar serves that “are re-entry friendly and believe in second chances.”

Johnson’s program, funded by the N.C. Department of Labor, can help with things like purchasing work clothes, as well as paying for CDL certification and OSHA certification through partnerships with Vance-Granville Community College.

“Whatever it takes to get you self-sufficient,” Johnson said, is what he and his program are prepared to do. “We meet you where you are — we understand some people aren’t where they want to be yet, but we’ll meet you there.”

Visit www.kerrtarworks.com to learn more or call 252.438.6129.

For complete details and audio click play.

 

The Local Skinny! April 19; Lisa Harrison, Granville Vance Public Health

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JCR:  Can people just show up for vaccine now?

LMH:   Sometimes we are able to host walk—up clinics like we did on Friday last week at VGCC but not every day yet.  We will advertise walk-up clinics when we have those.  As for daily clinics in Oxford and Henderson,  we are aiming to offer walk-up options each day in each health department location, but not yet this week.  It’s still important for us to be able to plan how to use all 10 doses of vaccine in each vile, so we need to ensure we can see people in groups of 10 in order to use all our vaccine well.  For now, the hotline is still the best way to register, get an appointment, and ensure your spot to get your shot, but we are moving as quickly as we can to easy-access walk-up clinic options.   As our staff adjusts to getting back to daily clinics we are working on how to do this and not waste a single dose of vaccine.

JCR: How many vaccines do you expect to do per week?

LMH: We are seeing demand for a few hundred first doses per week now, and we have access to that easily. We have access to enough (Moderna) vaccine each week to meet demand for both first and second doses so nobody needs to worry that we will not be able to get more vaccine.  That’s great news.

JCR:  When everyone is fully vaccinated who has received a 1st shot as of today, what percentage of fully vaccinated adults will we have?

LMH:  I estimate approximately 45% of ADULTS in the two-county district will be vaccinated in the next four weeks.

  Granville Vance District
% Partially Vaccinated 34.2% 32.1% 33.3%
% Fully Vaccinated 25.1% 23.7% 24.5%
% ADULTS partially vaccinated 43% 41.9% 42.6%
% ADULTS fully vaccinated 31.6% 30.9% 31.3%

JCR: Will the GVPH reach herd immunity?  How long will it take at present rates?

LMH:  This is a good question and a tricky one to answer given the pause in demand we seem to be seeing right now and the research that’s still needed.  Herd immunity occurs when enough people become immune to a disease to make its spread unlikely. As a result, the entire community is protected, even those who are not themselves immune. Herd immunity protects the most vulnerable members of our population.  Herd immunity is usually achieved through vaccination, but it can also occur through natural infection.  The percentage of people who need to be immune in order to achieve herd immunity varies with each disease. For example, since it’s so transmissible, herd immunity against measles requires about 95% of a population to be vaccinated. The remaining 5% will be protected by the fact that measles will not spread among those who are vaccinated.  For polio, the threshold is about 80%. The proportion of the population that must be vaccinated against COVID-19 to begin inducing herd immunity is not yet known.  In Epidemiology, which is the study of diseases in populations, ‘Ro’ (pronounced “R-naught), is a way to measure transmissibility of a disease.  The R0 tells you the average number of people that a single person with the virus can infect if those people aren’t already immune.  The higher the R0, the more people need to be resistant to reach herd immunity.  For COVID-19 it is between 2 and 3. This means that one person can infect two to three other people who aren’t already protected. It also means 50% to 67% of the population would need to be resistant before herd immunity kicks in and the infection rates start to go down.  Therefore, we hear often from doctors in the media this notion that 70% of the population should be vaccinated before we reach a level of herd immunity that we seek for COVID-19, but that data won’t be proven for some time – for now, it seems a logical goal for us to aim for.

JCR:  When can we vaccinate children?

LMH: Pfizer applied and began the process for Emergency Use Authorization for the 12-15 year old age group on Friday, April 9th, 2021.  Pfizer is already approved for those 16 and older.  The EUA process takes a number of weeks, so my hope is that by May we should have new opportunities to vaccinate those 12 and older with this vaccine.   The New York Times reported the following:  https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/09/world/pfizer-covid-vaccine-young-teens.html

  • “Pfizer and BioNTech requested on Friday (April 9)  that the Food and Drug Administration expand the emergency use authorization for their coronavirus vaccine to permit its use in children ages 12 to 15. If broadened, young adolescents could start getting vaccinated before going back to school in the fall. The companies plan to request similar authorizations from health agencies around the world in the coming days, they said in a joint statement. “These submissions represent a critical step in Pfizer’s and BioNTech’s ongoing efforts to support governments in broadening global vaccination efforts,” the statement said. Clinical trial results found the vaccine highly effective in that age group, the companies said last month. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is approved for use via emergency authorization in people 16 and older. Granting approval for its use in the younger age group would also speed the country’s efforts to reach herd immunity, which will depend on vaccinating children.  More than 2,000 young adolescents participated in the vaccine trial’s third phase. Among those who received it, none developed symptomatic coronavirus infections or exhibited serious side effects, the companies said last month. The vaccinated 12- to 15-year-olds also produced higher levels of antibodies, on average, than older adolescents and young adults did. The trial results have not yet been published in a scientific journal. The Covid-19 vaccine trials for children got off to a slow start, in part because it took time to find participants. Vaccine makers initially focused on adults, partially because children were proving far less likely to die from Covid-19. A child’s biology differs from that of an adult, which can affect the way vaccines work. Moderna is also testing its vaccine in children. Results from its study of 12- to 17-year olds, which began in December, are expected soon. A separate trial consisting of children under 12 began last month. In March, Pfizer began testing its vaccine in children under 12, with results expected during the second half of the year.”