Tag Archive for: #thelocalskinny

Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Carpenter Bees

Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

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The Local Skinny! City Council Votes To Keep B-2A Zoning For Businesses, Retail

After receiving recommendations from a couple of different committees, the Henderson City Council voted unanimously on Monday to deny a request that would have allowed an empty retail space to be turned into a 16-bed “diversion center” for patients in mental health or substance abuse crises.

Back in November, Vaya Health officials told county commissioners that the space formerly occupied by Big Lots! on Dabney Drive was the best option they could find at the best price point. It would require a special use permit from the city, however, since the area is zoned for businesses and not hospitals or sanitoriums.

The matter was referred to the city Planning Board, which initially recommended to approve the special use permit request. But at a special called meeting in January, the City Council expressed concerns and had reservations about moving the project forward and sent it back to the planning committee for further review. The second time, the planning committee offered no recommendation.

So, the planning board reviewed the matter again in February and the Land Planning Committee weighed in as well at a March meeting, recommending the request be denied because the B-2A zoning is designed for businesses, including retail establishments and that any change could be detrimental to existing businesses.

Now, here we are in April, with the matter back before the City Council.

In reviewing the timeline of events, City Manager Terrell Blackmon said the consensus is that feel that an area zoned for business is not well suited for a hospital or sanitorium.

Council members voted unanimously to deny the request.

Vaya is looking for a location that could serve the region that includes Vance, Granville and Franklin counties, and Vaya reps told commissioners in November that they’d pitch in $1.5 million of the total amount necessary to upfit and transform the space, which would be somewhere north of $4.5 million. Vaya is looking for funding from the three counties to support the project.

WIZS previously reported that the main idea for the facility is to help take some of the heat off local hospital emergency rooms, which often aren’t equipped to handle the specific needs of individuals suffering from behavioral and mental health crises.

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Cooperative Extension With Jamon Glover: Communication, Pt. 5

Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

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Home And Garden Show

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

  •  Farmer’s Market Opening
  • Get your soil samples turned in
  • Lawn mower safety
  • Purchasing transplants
  • Provide green house and cold frame ventilation
  • Check indoor seedlings daily

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Vance County Logo

The Local Skinny! County Commissioners Discuss Unified Development Ordinance

Vance County commissioners unanimously approved at the April 1 meeting a partnership with a company to help in the creation of a Unified Development Ordinance, or UDO, designed to bring consistency to county regulations with regard to property development.

The county’s Planning/Environmental committee reviewed a proposal at its most recent meeting in mid-March from NFOCUS, and County Manager C. Renee Perry recommended to the full board that NFOCUS be given the job of bringing under one “umbrella” document the various sets of regulations that govern development within the county.

Perry told the commissioners that funding the project is in the current budget, with the second half of the payment to be made next year.

A UDO is a comprehensive document that brings together the full complement of a county’s policies and regulations and works to eliminate conficting language among the various sets of rules.

Perry also told commissioners that part of the scope of work of NFOCUS would be to align county regulations with existing state regulations; NFOCUS, she said, had identified several inconsistencies in county documents that do not comply with NC General Statutes Chapter 160D that talks about minimum model regulations.

NFOCUS will provide support to the county for two years after completing the project.

According to information from the UNC School of Government, “Chapter 160D of the N.C. General Statutes consolidated city- and county-enabling statutes for development regulations and reassembled them into a more logical, coherent organization. While the new law did not make major policy changes or shifts in the scope of authority granted to local governments, it did provide clarifying amendments and consensus reforms.”

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Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Earthworms

Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

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The Local Skinny! Pop The Hood: Catalytic Converters

For our sponsor, Advance Auto Parts, as part of a paid radio sponsorship on WIZS.

Ask a mechanic about your vehicle’s catalytic converter and you’re likely to hear about how it reduces pollution and toxic gases that come from the engine.

An environmentalist may tell you how essential this little piece of metal is to protect the air we breathe.

Ask an unscrupulous so-and-so and you’ll likely hear that they’re super easy to steal, strip of its precious metals and make some serious money, all at the vehicle owners’ expense.

This relatively small, but essential, piece of equipment has attracted thieves looking to make a fast buck. The National Insurance Crime Bureau says claims of catalytic converter thefts have increased by nearly 300 percent since 2020.

Vehicles can run without a catalytic converter, but legally, they’re supposed to have one. If you notice that your vehicle makes a very loud sound when you start it, you may want to check to see that the catalytic converter is there – if not, that 18-inch gap in your exhaust system where the converter used to be is the reason for the noise.

So, what’s a car owner to do? There are several suggestions to keep your vehicle safe:

  • Always park in your garage or a brightly-lit area, ideally in view of a security camera. At home, put in a motion sensor light that covers your driveway.
  • Install an anti-theft device that makes it impossible to cut off your catalytic converter. Several manufacturers sell shields, cables or plates that are bolted onto your car to cover the component.
  • Spray paint the catalytic converter a bright color with high-temperature exhaust manifold paint, which should alert a recycler that it could be stolen property.
  • Etch your license plate or vehicle identification number on the converter so it’s easier to track if stolen.

The information contained in this post is not advice from Advance Auto Parts or WIZS.  Safety First!  Always seek proper help.  This is presented for its informational value only and is part of a paid advertising sponsorship.

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Cooperative Extension With Jamon Glover: Communication, Part 4

Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

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Home And Garden Show

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

  • Cleanup perennial flower beds. Cut back plants, pull weeds and refresh mulch
  • Finish up your pruning chores. Fruit trees,blueberries,grape vines, broadleaf evergreens and ornamental trees.
  • Increase pollination of your garden by purchasing Honey bees or contacting a beekeeper to place a hive on your property
  • Keep your garden notebook up to date
  • Check vegetable seedlings that you are growing indoors daily, light,soil moisture
  • Plan your spring garden on paper before planting your garden
  • Check all Garden equipment have it ready when needed
  • Avoid the temptation to plant tender flowers and vegetables. Trees and shrubs are fine to plant now April 20 avg frost free date
  • Refrain from tilling wet soil.
  • Conduct a germination test on old seed.

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