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Hosts Trey Snide and Ron Noel talk with George Marshall, Head Coach of Henderson Collegiate’s basketball team, about the cancellation of their playoff game and with Vance Co. High School’s Head Football Coach Hunter Jenks about the season opening game against Chapel Hill.
Coach Marshall called into Sports Talk this afternoon just after learning about the cancellation of tonight’s basketball game against West Columbus due to Covid 19 protocols. “We were thirty minutes outside of Henderson when we got the call,” Marshall said. Marshall also commented his wishes for the West Columbus team, “We are praying for them.” Due to the forfeit by West Columbus, Henderson Collegiate will now advance in the state playoffs to the elite eight. The next game for the team will be on Saturday against either Princeton or Wilson Prep Academy.
Vance Co. Head Football Coach Hunter Jenks was also on SportsTalk today and he spoke about tonight’s kick off of the football season against Chapel Hill which begins at 6:30 at Vance Co. High School. Coach Jenks said, “When you think about how much we’ve overcome, you’ve got to be happy,” in reference to the challenges his team has faced due to Covid 19 and the delay the pandemic has caused.
In preparation for tonight’s game, Vance Co. played in a scrimmage in Goldsboro this past Saturday. Jenks was happy with how that scrimmage went. The preparation and process for the scrimmage and tonight’s contest have been good, according to Coach Jenks. “Now we just have to go out and make the best of it,” Jenks said about tonight’s matchup.
When asked about standout players Coach Jenks said to watch for Malik Williams who could be a difference maker for the Viper’s defense. According to Jenks, Williams was all over the field. Jenks also said the team improved offensively during Saturday’s scrimmage.
Next week the Vipers were scheduled to play East Chapel Hill but that school has forfeited its entire season leaving Vance Co. a hole in their schedule. Coach Jenks said that he and athletic director Joe Sharrow are looking at other schools to fill next week’s slot.
For those planning to attend tonight’s game, it has sold out. All tickets have been purchased.
Kick off for tonight’s matchup between Vance Co. and Chapel Hill is at 6:30 and, for those who don’t have tickets, you can hear Trey Snide and Doc Ayscue call the the game here on WIZS 1450am and 100.1 FM and online at wizs.com.
On “The Local Skinny!” today, with the podcast audio below:
“The Local Skinny!” will always take your calls at 492-5594. Call with items to buy or sell. Call with a gripe or praise or question or comment. Let us know about something in the news you’d like to know more about.
Mark Pace, director of the North Carolina Room at the Richard H. Thornton Library in Oxford was the guest on The Local Skinny! on Thursday. He said that while the library has limited access and hours the library is open to the public from 10am to 12 Noon and 2pm to 4pm Monday through Friday and the North Carolina Room is also open, by appointment only, from 10am to 12 Noon and 2pm to 4pm Monday through Wednesday and Friday. The Library is currently allowing 30 minute access to computers along with access to copiers. Tax forms are also available and patrons can use curbside service to check out books.
The North Carolina Room is currently allowing one person or one couple at a time to come into the room to conduct research. Those interested in making an appointment to visit the North Carolina Room can call 919-693-1121 to do so. Pace says, “I’m twice as busy as I was before the pandemic and I’ve doubled the number of patrons.”
Recent additions to the collection at the North Carolina Room include 355 genealogy books from an estate in Maryland, eight boxes of film negatives from the J.B. Clay estate, 100 books from the estate of Elizabeth Hicks Hummel who was a local historian active in the 1950’s and 1960’s, along with what Pace called, “nice cash donations”.
With 46 years of genealogical research experience Pace is available through the North Carolina Room at Thornton Library to help with all types of historical and genealogical research. Once again the phone number is 919-693-1121. Thornton Library is located at 210 S. Main St. in Oxford.
WIZS Your Community Voice — 100.1 FM / 1450 AM
Click Play for today’s Local News Audio.
PRESENTED IN PART BY OUR SPONSOR DRAKE DENTISTRY
Local News Airs on WIZS M-F at 8 a.m., 12 Noon and 5 p.m.
“TownTalk” Airs on WIZS M-F at 11 a.m.
“The Local Skinny!” Airs on WIZS Mon-Thurs at 11:30 a.m.
Vance-Granville Community College is again offering a variety of personal enrichment classes beginning in early March at several of its campuses. Whether you’d like to brush up on your motorcycle-driving skills or want to learn how to create a TED Talk, there is a class for you, according to Cherrelle Lawrence, VGCC dean of the Franklin Campus and dean of corporate learning and professional development. You’re out of luck if you wanted to learn how to make a porcelain doll, however; that class has been filled.
Lawrence and Denise Miller, personal enrichment coordinator for VGCC, spoke on Town Talk Wednesday with John C. Rose about plans to re-open the personal enrichment classes that had been on hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Membership in the classes is limited due to COVID-19 safety protocols, but registration is open now. Visit vgcc.edu/coned/ped to see the complete listing and to register.
Click Play for Audio of VGCC Personal Enrichment as well as Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks program information about “Know Your Rights.” “Know Your Rights” will also be presented here on WIZS.com Friday. Story continues below.
The two-day motorcycle skills class is “really, really fun,” said Lawrence. Whether you’re a novice biker or just someone who hasn’t ridden in a while, this class could be for you, she said.
The class is next weekend – Mar. 6-7, and costs $180. Upon successful completion of the class, participants will have received all necessary training for a motorcycle certification. VGCC provides the motorcycles for the class.
A couple of popular classes, Lawrence said, are two adult defensive driving classes. The Alive@25 class is for those under the age of 25 who want to take the class as a way to reduce points against them for lesser traffic charges such as speeding. The four-hour course is quick, she said, allowing drivers to complete the program in one session. This program is through the local district attorney’s office. The other defensive driving program is for drivers older than 25. Check with your attorney to see whether this program is right for your situation.
The cost for the defensive driving courses is $65. The first will be held on Mar. 9 at the Franklin campus and the second at Main campus on Mar. 23. Each class is from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The Alive@25 classes will be held on Mar. 11 at Main campus and Mar. 25 at the Franklin campus.
Jamica Whitaker is the instructor for the Art of Public Speaking class. Participants will have the chance to put their newly honed speaking skills to work and produce a TED Talk presentation by the end of the class, which runs from Mar. 9 to April 13, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. A TED Talk is a video presentation, less than 18 minutes long, that combines Technology, Entertainment and Design.
Contact Miller at millerD@vgcc.edu or 252.738.3631 for more information or help registering for a class. Visit vgcc.edu to learn more.
On “The Local Skinny!” today, with the podcast audio below:
“The Local Skinny!” will always take your calls at 492-5594. Call with items to buy or sell. Call with a gripe or praise or question or comment. Let us know about something in the news you’d like to know more about.
WIZS Your Community Voice — 100.1 FM / 1450 AM
Click Play for today’s Local News Audio.
PRESENTED IN PART BY OUR SPONSOR DRAKE DENTISTRY
Local News Airs on WIZS M-F at 8 a.m., 12 Noon and 5 p.m.
“TownTalk” Airs on WIZS M-F at 11 a.m.
“The Local Skinny!” Airs on WIZS Mon-Thurs at 11:30 a.m.
UPDATE 2-24-21 TO ORIGINAL STORY:
COURTESY OF VANCE COUNTY SCHOOLS – As we continue preparing for our return to face-to-face interactions with students, Vance County Schools is working diligently to ensure we are providing all of the necessary safety protocols for the health and wellness of our everyone, prior to student re-entry.
On Friday, March 5, all Vance County Schools staff will have the opportunity to receive the COVID-19 vaccination. Due to the vaccination schedule, VCS will delay the re-entry of students to the week of Monday, March 8. The only change to the re-entry is that students in Pre-K, Kindergarten, and 1st grade, as well as all self-contained students will begin their re-entry the week of Monday, March 8 rather than March 4 and 5.
Thursday, March 4 will be a remote learning day as scheduled for all grades, with students logging in at their assigned times. Friday, March 5 will be an asynchronous learning day for all grades, allowing students to complete assignments in their online learning platform throughout the day.
We are grateful for this added layer of protection being afforded to our district and appreciate your understanding as we work to finish the 2020-2021 school year strong!
ORIGINAL STORY BELOW. PLEASE REFER TO UPDATED STORY ABOVE FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION.
In just over a week, Vance County schools will once again have students in the building for face-to-face instruction, but adjusting to the “new normal” means some changes are in store for students and staff alike, according to Superintendent Dr. Anthony Jackson.
Jackson spoke with Town Talk host John C. Rose about the staggered re-entry of students, which begins March 4. Below is the schedule for students to return:
“If you look at it, we’re going very cautiously, so we can assess where we are, make adjustments and do what we need to do…to make sure we’re successful. If it can be done, it can be done here in Vance County,” he added. “We’ve been very cautious and we’re going to have a very orderly return to school.
Students will come to school two days a week – either Monday/Tuesday or Thursday/Friday, according to Aarika Sandlin, public information officer for the school district. There remains an option for students to continue to participate in remote learning only, she said. Families should receive more information from their children’s schools this week.
Audio of Dr. Jackson on TownTalk. Script continues below.
Jackson said an announcement is forthcoming on a vaccination schedule for teachers. There is a “high degree of angst,” among teachers, he said. “They shouldn’t have to choose between their health and doing what’s right for kids,” he said. In addition, a full-time testing site opened Monday at the Administrative Services Building on Graham Avenue. It is available for staff, students and the community. Testing is free and results will be available in 24 hours, he said.
“Anyone who believes they have been exposed, before they even go to the school,” can get tested, he said.
The district has implemented stringent protocols, he said, from daily temperature stations and misting machines that sanitize whole classrooms daily, along with the required mask-wearing and social distancing, all of which contribute to the protocol. Students will eat meals in their classrooms instead of the cafeteria, he said, and hopefully outdoors when conditions are right.
“We feel really good about the rings of support that we have placed around getting our students back into the classroom,” Jackson said.
Students may spend part of the summer in classrooms as well, he said. Plans for a 6-week session during the summer are still in the works, he noted. He said he expects there to be some sort of summer session for “intervention or extension” for students.
“I don’t want to call it learning loss,” Jackson explained. “I think the only thing our kids have lost is time,” because of the pandemic. He said he chooses to look at a summer session as a way to give students more time to learn. They missed learning because of the pandemic, not because they didn’t understand.
“We’re going to have to learn how to operate in a new normal,” Jackson said. “What this has taught us is that we can do this and we can do it well, but we have to be very intentional and we have to be willing to make the shifts when necessary,” he added.
Jackson said he has a great team, both within the school system and in the larger community, who have worked together throughout the pandemic. “We know that if we’re going to beat this, we’re going to beat it together. We’re better, stronger and wiser together,” Jackson said.
WIZS Your Community Voice — 100.1 FM / 1450 AM
Click Play for today’s Local News Audio.
PRESENTED IN PART BY OUR SPONSOR DRAKE DENTISTRY
Local News Airs on WIZS M-F at 8 a.m., 12 Noon and 5 p.m.
“TownTalk” Airs on WIZS M-F at 11 a.m.
“The Local Skinny!” Airs on WIZS Mon-Thurs at 11:30 a.m.
Hosts Trey Snide and Doc Ayscue spoke with Vance County High School Athletic Director Joe Sharrow Monday on SportsTalk. Sharrow spoke about the season opening football game for Vance County as they take on Chapel Hill Thursday evening in Henderson. “I’m really excited,” Sharrow said. “The offense is in a rebuild mode. The defense will be the star of the show,” Sharrow added. Vance County participated in a scrimmage against Goldsboro over the weekend and, according to Sharrow, played well.
In regards to Covid 19 and its impacts on schools Sharrow said “We take pride in keeping kids safe”. Sharrow also said that Vance County High School is the only school doing regular testing in the entire state. While state guidelines allow for 100 people to attend games, Sharrow says Vance County has not been allowing anyone to come to any sporting events but the policy is being reviewed this week. “Athletic Directors are trailblazers,” Sharrow said when talking about how school systems have worked to have athletic events during the pandemic. He added that many local and conference teams have far less players than in previous years. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t see some schools back out of football this season,” Sharrow commented.
Vance County’s team has a new coach this season with Hunter Jenks taking over the program. Sharrow said that over the long term he believes Coach Jenks will put together a really good football program at Vance County High School.
Vance County takes on Chapel Hill Thursday at 6:30 Thursday at Vance County High School. The game will be broadcast live on WIZS.
