Cooperative Extension With Jamon Glover: Why?
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The Local Skinny! Vance And Granville Benefit From State Budget Appropriations
State employees, current and retired, who live in District 32 join others across the state who will see bumps in salaries and retirement checks, thanks to provisions in the budget most recently approved in Raleigh.
In his first months in the N.C. House representing District 32, Frank Sossamon helped secure those provisions, but that’s not all the freshman representative has been busy with.
Sossamon has been involved in attracting a wide variety of programs and projects- with a pricetag of $44 million – to the district.
“I look forward to seeing the great impact these projects will have on my community,” Sossamon said in a press release. “This budget will allow our state to continue to receive recognition as a great place to own a business and live.”
In addition to salaries for teachers and other state workers, the state budget includes $2 billion for water and sewer improvement projects and more than $620 million for behavioral mental health programs. And Sossamon has secured large slices of the budget pie in those two areas to come right here to Vance and Granville counties.
Sossamon spoke with WIZS News Tuesday about being a legislator. “It’s amazing to me the kind of reception I’ve received from the very beginning,” he said, adding that he has been appointed to some important committees, including the powerful Appropriations Committee.
He said he talked with a lot of legislators to make sure District 32 was included in discussions. “I worked hard with every chairman and vice chairman. Not only did we do a proposal for each (project), but I verbally expressed why these projects need to be supported.”
And that hard work seems to have paid off.
Vance-Granville Community College is getting $11.5 million to create an Advanced Manufacturing Center in Granville County’s Triangle North Business Park. “It’s going to be a game changer,” Sossamon said. It will show prospective businesses looking in the area that District 32 can train workers and support business and manufacturing. “This is going to put us in a different position than we’ve ever been in” for recruiting business and industry, he said.
“This makes me feel good that this is now happening and moving forward,” he added.
And $10 million is flowing to the City of Oxford for water improvements with Kerr Lake Regional Water System.
Maria Parham Healthcare Center is getting $5 million to bolster its capacity and ability to improve mental health and substance abuse outcomes.
Other water and sewer projects – including $4 million for Vance County and $5 million for South Granville Water and Sewer round out the 7-figure awards.
Sossamon said the work he does in Raleigh is just part of the overall effort to effect change. “In addition to VGCC, Kerr-Tar COG and economic development leaders, he said “it takes every entity in the district, in each county, every municipality,” he said. “It takes all those, and others, to see these things come to fruition. Everybody has to be going – economically – in the same direction.”
Prospective businesses and industry choose communities for a variety of reasons, not just a pool of trained employees. Education and crime are key indicators, too, and Vance County is getting more than $691,000 to provide the sheriff’s office with body-worn cameras and support equipment. ”We have some appropriation chairs that are pro-law enforcement,” Sossamon noted. “Any time they can support law enforcement, they’re gonna do it.
Sossamon said he predicts the body cameras will be a morale builder for the sheriff and his officers. Having a state-of-the-art department will be a selling point for recruiting, he said.
I’m thrilled for Sheriff Brame,” he said. “I’m elated that this kind of money is coming to the different entities in Vance County to have a better quality of life.”
Hard work lobbying notwithstanding, Sossamon said he is pleased so far with the outcomes for his district.
“I’m trying to do all I can…(for) not just one, but every person.” And that’s what he says he’ll continue to do. “I really want to make our counties better than what they are now.”
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The Local Skinny! Home And Garden Show 10-04-23
On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.
- Start preparing for leaf collection. Plan to compost your leaves Do Not Burn Them!!!!!!
- Save seed from coneflower, sunflower, marigold, rudbeckia, cosmos and others.
- Check cole crops for insects. Ex Loopers, cabbage worms, Harlequin bugs.
- Store leftover and collected seed in a cool, dry location.
- Bring in Houseplants from outside before this weekend
- If you overseed or reseed your lawn, avoid weed control products according to product instructions.
- October is a great time to collect your Soil Samples!n 2 week analysis time.
- Planting trees and shrubs? Start with a tape measure.
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The Local Skinny! Watkins Fire Dept. Fires Up The Grill
Watkins Volunteer Fire Department is having is fall barbecued chicken and pork barbecue fundraiser on Friday, Oct. 6. Assistant Fire Chief Brandon Link said he and his fellow Watkins firefighters are preparing now to have plates ready beginning about 11 a.m.
Link said their May plate sales went so well that they upped the number of chicken halves to just over 900. Add the 250 pounds of chopped barbecue and you’ve got the makings for a delicious meal.
Chicken plates are $12, chicken/pork barbecue combo plates are $15 and 1-pound containers of pork barbecue are $10.
Prepping for a fundraiser of this type gets volunteers together, all working for a common goal. That fits right in with the philosophy that firefighters are part of a close-knit group.
“We preach brotherhood at the fire department, the fire service in general,” Link said. Whether it’s fire safety training or chopping barbecue and cutting cabbage for cole slaw, Link said firefighters work together like family to produce results.
“Everybody has a job,” Link said. Not everyone has the same skill sets to perform all jobs, but everybody can do something to contribute, he said. There’s an art to putting together a fundraiser like this one, he said. “It was passed on to me and now we are passing on” that knowledge to those young volunteers who may be new to the “craft of the barbecued chicken fundraiser.”
Call the fire department at 252.492.0600 or Link at 252.432.5219 (call or text) to place an order or arrange delivery.
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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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Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Woody Ornamentals
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! Jones Shines A Light On Autism This Saturday
The president of a local nonprofit invites the community to come to an event on Saturday, Sept. 30 that she said will “shine a light on autism.” Tiffany Jones is president of Community Uplift Project and she said the upcoming event is part training, part workshop to help people understand the very complex nature of autism.
“Shine A Light On Autism” begins at 11 a.m. at the nonprofit’s location, 105 S. Garnett St.
“The reason for this event and workshop is to allow people to know what autism is,” Jones explained on Thursday’s segment of The Local Skinny!
Whether you’re a teacher, a parent or grandparent of a child on the autism disorder spectrum, this program is sure to provide insight to help you better understand autism. The National Autism Association will be on hand for a presentation as part of the event.
Jones said her passion to share about autism is a result of her working with a child in a daycare setting a few years ago.
“After learning how to be there for her, it fueled my passion for how to be there for others,” she said. “I want to make sure that (people) understand how to interact” with individuals who have autism.
Understanding that autism manifests in different ways is important. What may seem like misbehavior to the untrained eye is a person with autism who may not know how to handle their emotions, she said. “Some are not verbal, so we have to learn how to talk to them, how to handle them when they have outbursts,” she continued.
But her nonprofit encompasses other needs as well, she said. “We do community feedings, a community clothing closet…and a drop-in day care coming up soon,” she said. Community Uplift Project feeds people “spiritually and naturally,” she said. “And we make sure they know who God is. We uplift you in so many different ways,” she said and try to provide for the needs of the community.
“We make sure they know there is hope, that somebody cares and that God is with them.”
Community Uplift Project’s current fundraiser has a goal of 100 people making a donation of $33 to support the mission.
The space can hold about 300 people, and Jones said she is expecting more than 100, if not more. “I can’t wait to see the families, parents and teachers,” Jones said.
To learn more, email communityupliftproject2020@yahoo.com or call 252.425.6056.
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Cooperative Extension With Jamon Glover: My Parenting Journey
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.
- Cole crops may need top dressing with nitrogen.
- Start controlling fire ants.
- Check cole crops for insects. Ex Loopers, cabbage worms, Harlequin bugs.
- Planting trees and shrubs? Planting depth is everything!
- Control weeds in the garden. One weed left to seed out can produce 1000’s of weeds in your garden next year.
- Sowing tall fescue? Soil/seed contact is essential.
- Now is a great time to collect soil samples. Avoid the rush this fall. .2 week analysis time.
- Fertilizing your lawn? Use a slow release product.
- If you have vacant areas in your garden consider planting a cover crop. Ex Crimson clover
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The Local Skinny! Upcoming Events At Perry Memorial Library
By all accounts, October is going to be busy at Perry Memorial Library. Youth Services Director Melody Peters has outlined several programs designed for tweens and teens that could “spark” an interest – pun intended.
Peters said a dozen young people are already registered for the Tuesday, Oct. 10 Electricity program. The hour-long program begins at 4 p.m., she said, and participants will get to learn about how electricity works from a Vance-Granville Community College instructor.
It’ll be a fun time, but it also can be a way for young people to learn about careers, she said.
“Now kids see a real connection,” she said, between education and future job opportunities in the electrical field.
There’s no charge for the event, but contact Peters if you haven’t already registered at mpeters@perrylibrary.org.
The following week’s Survival Skills program will introduce youngsters to the world of crochet. Yep, crochet. They have all the materials and plenty of space, so just show up if you want to learn how to magically pull yarn with a crochet hook to create handcrafted items.
The annual Fall Festival will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 24 from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
“Last year was such a great time – we had a great turnout,” Peters said. “We’re excited to do it again.”
Children can come in Halloween costumes if they’d like and can enjoy playing traditional carnival games and craft activities.
For a complete listing of all the programs and services at Perry Memorial Library, visit
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