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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Tag Archive for: #thelocalskinny
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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The Local Skinny! Events At Perry Memorial Library 04-02-24
There’s lots going on at Perry Memorial Library in April – some of them are the regular monthly favorites, but there are some time-sensitive activities as well that are being targeted at children on Spring Break and for everyone interested in next week’s solar eclipse.
Youth Services Director Melody Peters said kids on spring break should check out Wednesday’s arts and crafts activities at 11 a.m.
There will be lots to do, Peters said on Tuesday’s segment of The Local Skinny!
“We’re definitely going to have a couple of tables for painting,” Peters said. There will be beads for necklace making, foam crafts and teens can fashion their own jewelry.
“There are a lot of options for various ages,” she said.
Most kids will be back in school on Monday, Apr. 8, but that’s not stopping the library from participating in the Statewide Star Party to view the eclipse.
The fun begins at 1:30 p.m. and runs through 3 p.m. and there will be half a dozen or so activity stations for individuals to take part in. The height of the eclipse will occur at 3:16 p.m., Peters said, and she’s got those special glasses for anyone who comes to view at the library.
“We crave those natural events that shake us up,” she said. “People are going to be able to see it – it’s not made up – it’s real!”
The activities are STEAM centered and participants will learn more about the sun, moon, and what exactly an eclipse is before they get to witness it in person.
They “get to see something in real time,” Peters said. In this world of AI and all things virtual, this is a big deal. North Carolina will not experience a total eclipse, but 86 percent is pretty good, she said.
Teens can return to the library the next day – April 9 – at 4 p.m. to create a special type of poetry – black out poetry. Books that would otherwise be discarded because of disrepair are used to create poems.
“I hope kids come,” Peters said. “I love what you can do (with) recycling old books. It becomes art.”
No need to register – just show up at the library to participate.
Visit https://www.perrylibrary.org/ to learn more.
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Cooperative Extension with Wykia Macon
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Vance County To Welcome New Budget And Finance Director Monday, April 1
Vance County has selected a new Budget and Finance director. Stephanie Williams will begin her new role on Monday, Apr. 1 and she said she’s “ready to get to work.”
Williams comes to Vance County from Durham County Schools, where she served as director of Fiscal Operations, according to a press release from Vance County Manager C. Renee Perry.
“I consider it an honor and a privilege to be joining the team at Vance County government,”, Williams stated. “I look forward to working with everyone to continue the work and build upon the dynamic services provided to the community while maintaining fiscal responsibility.”
With a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from N.C. Central University, Williams has a background and 18 years’ experience in the finance and accounting fields, which includes internal audit, capital funding, budgeting, bank administration, school finance, bank reconciliation and bond projects.
Perry said, “I am more than thrilled to bring Ms. Williams on board with the rest of the Vance County team. Stephanie’s education and experience are a perfect fit for our needs right now.”
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Cooperative Extension With Jamon Glover: Communication, Part 3
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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Cooperative Extension With Paul McKenzie: What Works in the Garden
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! Paws for Granville Auction Raises Money for Spay and Neuter
Calling all animal lovers who also enjoy a night out, complete with dinner and a silent auciton! The fifth annual Paws for Granville fundraiser is Saturday, April 6 and organizers say you’re not going to want to miss it!
Tickets are $35 for the event, which will be from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at The Barn at Vino in Stem. Proceeds go to fund the spay/neuter program at the Granville County Animal Shelter, which is partnering with the local Humane Society to put on the event.
Angela Gooch, treasurer and co-founder of the Granville County Humane Society, spoke with WIZS’s Bill Harris on Monday’s segment of The Local Skinny! to provide details.
“We’re hoping to get plenty of support from the community” for the fundraiser, Gooch said, which in turn will provide much-needed funds to pay for the shelter’s spay/neuter program.
Gooch said there typically are a lot of cats to be spayed or neutered, but that the shelter had taken in “an awful lot” of puppies lately.
“It’s a big problem,” she said. “It seems like no matter how many we do, there are more and more to take their place” in the spay/neuter program.
One way to help raise funds to support the spay/neuter program is through a silent auction. Event attendees can bid on items that include jewelry, a bicycle, garden flags, gifts cards to Angus Barn, the N.C. Zoo and a ticket package to see the “Mamma Mia” ABBA tribute at DPAC – not to mention a variety of dog- and cat-related paraphernalia.
Purchase tickets online through Eventbrite, visit the Granville County Animal Shelter, 515 New Commerce Dr. or call 919.691.9114.
In addition, donations may be made to the local humane society, P.O. Box 385, Butner, NC 27509 or make an online donation at hsgcncinfo@gmail.com
“We need the community help to make this a success,” Gooch said.
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