Tag Archive for: #localnewsaudio

H-V Chamber Logo

TownTalk 03-23-21: H-V Chamber Advances will help with Human Resources

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The newly formed Human Resources Council, a program of the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce, will have its first meeting on Thursday, Mar. 25 at 1 p.m. There’s still time to register to participate in the virtual meeting, according to Chamber President Michele Burgess.

Burgess said the council, which falls under the chamber’s business growth and development division, will bring together human resources professionals from a variety of businesses and industry to network, problem-solve and share ideas. The council will meet monthly, she said, and will feature guest speakers.

The purpose of the council is “to help our members grow and to help them solve problems that they’re losing sleep over at night,” Burgess told John C. Rose on Tuesday’s Town Talk. Until the group can gather in person again – which Burgess hopes it will be able to do by the fall – virtual meetings can help connect area human resources professionals to one another. And this, she said, will build relationships as well as a network for sharing ideas and helping solve HR problems.

One of the challenges that businesses, both large and small, face in the Vance County area is finding employees to fill job openings, Burgess said. These days, besides asking for information about COVID-19 related loans and grants, the Chamber fields calls from companies wondering how and where to find good employees. “That’s really how the whole human resources council came to be,” she said. “It really started even before COVID,” she said, adding that she hopes through strengthening relationships with the public school system and VGCC, the talent pool and workforce development can improve for area business and industry.

Thursday’s speaker is Cherrelle Lawrence, dean of corporate learning and professional development at Vance-Granville Community College. The topic is “Investing in Talent.” Lawrence, who also serves as dean of VGCC’s Franklin campus, will kick off the council gathering with an overview of topics related to human resources. “I’m excited for my business members to hear her,” Burgess said. “She is really dynamic and full of energy!”

TownTalk Podcast with Michele Burgess.

The HR Council will serve to inform human resource officers and managers in local businesses about innovative programs including specific training, apprenticeships and internships offered in the community, she said. “We like being involved,” Burgess said of the Chamber, “but we also like to share with our other partners like VGCC’s Small Business Center, local economic development commission and other entities that attract new business.

“We feel like the workforce issue is very important at this particular time,” Burgess continued. “We want to keep our local businesses here and operating (and) workforce pool is key to that,” she said. “We realize (at the Chamber) that we can’t do everything. But getting people employed and helping our industry” is a top priority.

The Chamber’s business growth and development division is co-chaired Chamber members by Brian Williams, account manager at Temperature Control Solutions, and Stephanie Hoyle, broker associate with Century 21 Country Knolls Realty.

To learn more or to register for the Thursday meeting, email michele@hendersonvance.org or call 252.438.8414.

The Local Skinny! March 23; H-V First Responders Doing Benefit

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Past and present individuals who serve various local fire, law enforcement, EMS and volunteer agencies, who form what’s commonly called Henderson Vance First Responders, are planning a 3,000 plate BBQ chicken sale for the local families of Ret. Capt. Mike Davis (HPD) and Master Trooper Brent Montgomery (SHP).

Both served in their respective areas of law enforcement, and both died as a result of covid complications. For a $10 donation, community members at large can enjoy the food, which will be available April 30th from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. The event will take place at 210 Industry Drive in Henderson. That’s the physical location the Tri-County Shrine Club uses, nearby to Mako, Servpro and Fred’s Towing.

The fundraising project is the brainchild of a number of current and past first responders according to Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow. He and Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame are helping too along with the Tri-County Shrine Club, formerly known as the Henderson Shrine Club.

Sheriff Brame told WIZS News last week, “All the proceeds will go to the families of Captain Mike Davis and Trooper Brent Montgomery. Follow social media where you can make a donation. Henderson Police Department and Vance County Sheriff’s Office have tickets on hand, so please stop by and make your donation.”

Subsequently, Brame has posted on his Facebook page, “The following persons and businesses have tickets; Vance County Sheriff’s Office, Henderson Police Department, Eastside Barber Shoppe, Ray Fields, James Lilley, Sheriff Brame, Chief Barrow, Billy Currin. If you would like to join us in helping get these tickets out please call 432-4307, and I will get you a stack of tickets. God Bless and thank all of you.”

The Local Skinny! Podcast

TownTalk 03-22-21 William Landis, Small Farms Week

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Small farmers make up about 80 percent of farmers in this area and provide the community with delicious produce and pasture-raised meats that consumers can find at local farmers’ markets. But small-scale farmers are not necessarily trying to compete with, or become, large-scale farmers, according to William Landis with Franklin County Extension Service.  He told John C. Rose on Monday’s Town Talk that small farmers who can find a niche product or a niche market can position themselves to be successful.

Landis is the small farms agent for Franklin and Warren counties. Part of his job is to help small farmers with resources to become as efficient and productive as possible. These days, with so much information available via the internet, it may be challenging for producers to make choices about how and what to grow on their farms.

“Come to us,” Landis said of cooperative extension services. “Bounce what you’ve heard off your local extension agent. We’re here to help you out,” he said. Many small farmers around here, he said, have full-time jobs off the farm and do their farm work when they get off work.

March 21-27 is Small Farms Week in North Carolina, thanks to the Cooperative Extension program at N.C. A&T State University. And a Franklin County farmer is in the running for Small Farmer of the Year.

Mike and Suzanne Jones run MAE Farm and they market their pasture-raised meats at the State Farmers Market. Jones has been a farmer since the early 2000’s, long before Landis became an extension agent. “It’s good to see that he’s finally getting recognized,” he said.

The winner will be announced on Mar. 24 during the virtual Small Farms conference.

Small Farms Week TownTalk Podcast

Selection criteria include how small farmers are engaged in the community, as well as innovative practices that are used on the farm, Landis said. Jones is involved with the local Farm Bureau and uses innovative pasture management practices like silvopasture – letting animals graze in forested areas – and rotational grazing of multiple species.

Landis said a small farm is one that has less than $250,000 a year in income. Advances in technology, from tractors with built-in GPS systems to the use of drones, have been helpful additions for producers. Other types of technology – like phone apps – are also being used to help boost the agritourism industry, Landis said. One such app is called Visit NC Farms. Producers load information about their farm and it’s accessible via the app. Agritourism is a growing trend and has helped small farmers weather the COVID-19 pandemic. Other online tools like MeatSuite can help consumers find locally sourced meats in their area, he added.

Franklin County, he said, is situated in a perfect spot to respond to the huge Raleigh-Durham market. “Within 30 minutes, you can be in Raleigh and deliver your product,” he said. The Raleigh-Durham market is one of the largest markets in the U.S., he said. Responding to the needs and wants of a market that size is what can put a small farmer on the road to success.

Right now, the Franklin County Farmers Market is located near the Carly C’s on Bickett Boulevard in Louisburg. It currently operates under a shelter on Fridays from 9 to noon, but Landis said there is some movement afoot to create a closed-in market.

Granville Vance Public Health Logo

The Local Skinny! March 22; Covid Update

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Thank you for listening to WIZS — Your Community Voice.

“The Local Skinny!” also features Tradio — click here — and the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report — click here.

The latest local data update on Covid-19, as of March 21, indicates right at 13 percent of the population of Vance County and Granville County are fully vaccinated.

In email correspondence that Lisa Harrison, health director at Granville Vance Public Health, sends out at least once per week, she wrote “Vance County — Total Doses Administered: 15,299; First Doses Administered: 9,614; Second Doses Administered: 5,685.  Granville County — Total Doses Administered: 21,036; First Doses Administered: 12,929; Second Doses Administered: 8,107.

“Vance County — Percentage of population at least partially vaccinated: 21.6%. Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 12.8%.

“Granville County — Percentage of population at least partially vaccinated: 21.4%. Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 13.4%.”

Additional links you are encouraged to use are “the NCDHHS COVID-19 Dashboard. Relevant graphs from these dashboards are available on our website at https://gvph.org/covid-19_dashboard/,” Harrison wrote.

For a seventh time overall and for the fifth straight NCAA tournament, seven ACC teams made the field (two remain at of 3-22-21 at 2 p.m.), and Harrison says the NCAA has a good model of safety for players, staff and fans  — https://www.ncaa.org/themes-topics/health-and-safety.

Harrison says the NCAA model is good, and it’s clear.  And Harrison and others around the country say we are at a turning point in the fight against the virus, a fork in the road if you will.

To continue the original basketball/model theme of Harrison’s email to WIZS News, the other type of models, like the ones you would use for forecasting the weather for example, these models being run on covid make one thing clear.  “Get your vaccine when it’s your turn and keep practicing the 3 Ws if we want to get out of this as fast as we can! We need to keep making an effort to flatten any future curves that could happen if we let our guard down too quickly or if we allow these variants to take off unchecked. We’re in this until we’re over the hump – and we don’t want any more upward trends,” Harrison wrote.

She wrote, “GVPH had the opportunity to participate in a pilot project recently to understand better how researchers at UNC, NC State University, and Georgia Tech (all good basketball schools I might add) are able to use systems engineering and simulations to model future scenarios related to the pandemic and our response. Very cool! Even more cool is they want to help us in public health with decision-making and communicating where it’s helpful.”

Presently in North Carolina, the daily percent positive is 4.9 percent.

Coach's Corner Logo

SportsTalk 03-18-21 Hunter Jenks, Vance Co. Vipers Head Football Coach

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Even though Vance County is 0-2 after a 20-0 loss at Southern Durham last Friday night, Coach Hunter Jenks praised his teams defensive effort citing a goal line stand and the pressure that was constant in the Southern Durham backfield throughout the game. In reviewing last Friday’s game, Jenks said that if events had unfolded slightly different that the Vipers could have come away with a win. Coach Jenks continues to see improvement with the Vipers. “Every day when we come off the field after practice we collectively say we’ve gotten better,” Jenks said of his team.

While Jenks is focused on playing well this season he is also looking ahead to the future of the program as well.  With only three seniors starting on defense this year he will have multiple seasons with many of the underclassmen on the Vipers squad.  “It bodes well for the future,” Jenks commented when discussing the defense. Jenks says that while the defensive unit may be undersized they make up for it with effort and speed. Jenks acknowledges that the defense is ahead of the Vipers offense. Jenks said “We’ve to be realistic and look for small victories,” when asked about the unit’s on field progress. The key is limiting turnovers, sustaining drives and limiting mistakes.

As for Saturday night’s game against Orange at 6 p.m., which was rescheduled from Friday, Jenks says that Orange lost their starting quarterback in the first game of the season, and he expects for Orange to have a similar style to Vance Co. meaning it’s likely to be a defensive battle, something in which both teams excel.

Kickoff for the game at Orange High School in Hillsborough is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday and can be heard in its entirety on WIZS Radio. Bill Harris will have the call of the game.

For complete details and audio click play.

 

TownTalk 03-18-21: Vance County Comprehensive Architectural Survey to be Conducted

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Local history buffs, take note: Vance County is one of six counties chosen to have a comprehensive architectural survey conducted over the next couple of years. A state historic preservation expert was on Town Talk Thursday to discuss the project with Bill Harris and Mark Pace.

Elizabeth King, architectural survey coordinator with the NC Department of Cultural Resources, said the next step – after selecting field workers – will be to have a “scoping phase” which could start as early as this summer. This phase should take about six months and includes examining the 300-plus properties already identified in Vance County, most of which are in Henderson. The second phase involves conducting a complete evaluation of rural Vance County, including Kittrell and Middleburg, she said. Then the final phase, which should start in early 2023, will take a thorough look at yet-to-be-identified properties in Henderson.

King said this project is “long, long overdue” for Vance County.  The project is scheduled to be completed by late 2023.

The most recent architectural survey was conducted in 1974 and was meant to be merely an information-gathering project rather than a comprehensive record of buildings and places with historical significance, she said.

Back in 1966, Congress passed the National Historic Preservation Act, whose mission was to create a national inventory of historic buildings and historic places, King noted.

As coordinator of the survey in her role with the State Historic Preservation Office, she said she is “standing on the shoulders of giants” because North Carolina is recognized for having one of the best architectural survey programs in the nation.

Click play for 3-18-21 TownTalk broadcast.

In the early 1970’s, young people, many fresh out of college, were hired to do a county-by-county inventory of historic buildings, King said. They interviewed residents in the communities and created a record of historic places that were beginning to disappear from the landscape and from people’s memories.  “These young surveyors were going out and capturing local history from some of the last people who were living that agrarian lifestyle,” she said of the work done back then.

The migration from rural to city life after World War II, as well as the creation of Kerr Lake in the 1950’s are a couple of factors that contribute to fading memories and disappearing buildings that could be considered architecturally and historically significant.

King said she and her colleagues in the historical preservation field use “the 50-year rule” when talking about historical significance of buildings and places. This year, a building built in 1971 could be considered as having historical significance, she explained. “But it may not be ‘historic’ with a Capital H,” she said. “We have to continually be moving that needle to be capturing younger aspects of our history,” King added.

What makes or breaks projects such as the survey is local involvement, King said. “We want to raise awareness at a local level of what is special and regionally unique” to the area, she said. A public meeting will be held closer to the beginning of the field work phase to exchange information with the community. King said the project will certainly have a technical component to collect information such as window patterns, roof lines and the like, but another component is “to listen and absorb” information from the community.

And rest assured, she said, that nobody associated with the survey will visit a property without permission. “We do not trespass. If we aren’t invited on someone’s property, we will attempt to make contact,” she said, adding that all workers would be clearly identified and will carry business cards and official letters stating the purpose of their visit.

To learn more, contact King at elizabeth.king@ncdcr.gov or 919.814.6580.