Tag Archive for: #towntalk

TownTalk 04-21-21 Tasker Fleming, Front Porch Bluegrass

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Tune in to WIZS on Sunday, May 2 at 6 p.m. to set your toes to tappin’ as the radio station airs a new program called “Front Porch Bluegrass” hosted by Tasker Fleming. Fleming grew up in the area and spent part of his career in education right here in Vance County.

Fleming sat down – virtually – with Town Talk’s John C. Rose Wednesday and talked about growing up in Vance and Warren counties and how music has been a part of his life over the years.

He spent 36 years teaching math and coaching sports and recently retired in the Albemarle area. He started Front Porch Bluegrass, an hour-long show that airs on his local station WSPC AM 1010 and FM 107.3.

“I just like the story as much as the fast pickin’ ” of bluegrass, he said. This particular genre of music started out as Everyman’s music, he noted, and said he likes to think that his efforts are a way to help preserve the music as well as entertain listeners.

“I invite people to tell me what they like,” he said. Send requests to frontporch21@yahoo.com.

Listeners will hear a mixture of very new music, with additional timeless classics and even some vintage tunes from the ‘40’s and ‘50’s.

Fleming’s interest in bluegrass and other forms of music goes back to his childhood. He ordered his first instrument – a banjo – from the J.C. Penney catalog after attending the Earl Scruggs Revue in Afton, NC.

“I’ve never made a penny with music,” he said, “but I was hooked.”

He picked up the mandolin more recently and, until COVID-19, played with a group of local musicians who entertained at nursing homes near his home. The residents enjoyed the visits from Mountain Creek Connection, listening to familiar bluegrass and gospel favorites. And Fleming enjoyed watching them sing along.

Fleming recalled fondly evenings at Marie’s in the Epsom community – a service station-turned-music venue where locals gathered on to listen and play on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. “I grew up there, listening to the music,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun being around the music.”

Fleming’s father turned the old theater in Warrenton into a civic auditorium and gospel groups would play there on Sunday afternoons. Fleming ran the concessions for these events and recalled one time when Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys were scheduled to perform. But Monroe ended up in the hospital in Nashville. Mac Wiseman filled in and did well, Fleming said, adding that he even brought the singer a meal of a burger and fries from the locally famous Burger Barn.

“I was his leg man to get him lunch or dinner – he was just a nice guy,” Fleming said.

Learn more about Front Porch Bluegrass at frontporchbluegrass.com or follow on Facebook.

TownTalk Broadcast Audio with Tasker Fleming, the full and entertaining half hour!

 

Jackson Pleased With Students’ Return, Discusses Upcoming Events, Plans

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Vance County students have been back in school buildings for about a month, and Superintendent Dr. Anthony Jackson said the two main things the district is focused on – educating children in a safe environment – are going pretty well. So far, there have been no COVID-19 clusters, very few cases in schools and zero spread.

Jackson credits the district’s teachers, administrators and staff, as well as parents and the students themselves for a smooth transition from all remote instruction to face-to-face instruction in classrooms. He spoke to John C. Rose on Town Talk Tuesday about what’s coming up for families and students, including graduations, end-of-year assessments and summer school plans.

If there is a silver lining to pandemic restrictions, abrupt closing of in-person instruction and surge in virtual learning, Jackson said this school year has been a time to allow school districts “to do things differently and more in line with what our kids need.” He is determined to not allow COVID-19 to be cause for any type of punishment for the students in his charge.

Graduations will take place on May 24 at Vance County High School.

“We decided that we could offer something a little closer to a traditional graduation,” Jackson said. The graduations will be ticketed events, he said, and all participants will be required to follow all safety protocols, including wearing masks. The larger classes – Vance County High School and AdVance – will use the stadium for their graduations; Vance County Early College and V3 will hold graduations in the gym, he said.

Jackson said the graduations will be live-streamed for those family and loved ones who are not able to attend in person. Visit www.vcs.k12.nc.us to learn more.

Although students will be taking state-mandated end-of-grade tests, Jackson said the state has said the school district will not be getting the annual report card of overall student proficiency. “We’ll get to see our kids’ proficiency,” he said, which can show learning that did take place, albeit in less-than-ideal circumstances. “We need the data so we can plan instruction for our kids,” he said.

District leaders currently are planning the summer program which will be offered to each student. That extended-learning plan should be ready to give to parents in the next few weeks.

Jackson said the district maintains its focus on clear promotion standards for students, but said it is important to take into account that there may be gaps in learning and loss of time. Flexibility is key, he noted, when discussing promotion and retention. He said shifting certain curriculum standards from one grade to the next may be a way to make sure standards aren’t skipped “We need to make sure we are very intentional to look where gaps are,” Jackson said.

The summer program will be a time to “rebuild and reconnect,” he said, and help students recover that time they lost during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jackson said the extended-learning program this summer will provide a “robust push” for students to have a chance at recovering lost instructional time.

The V3 school is a model that will be continued as an alternative for parents who want to be more involved in their child’s learning. This model blends personalized learning with school-based learning and may be a good option for parents who want their child to have a personalized pathway, but don’t want to pursue home-schooling.

“There are some children who thrive in a 1-to-1 virtual environment,” Jackson noted, adding that V3 is open to families who live outside Vance County. There is an application process and he said V3 principal Dr. Jessica Perry welcomes inquiries.

 

Kerr Tar Workforce and NCWorks

TownTalk 4-19-21; Kerr-Tar Roundtable Hosts Re-Entry Resource Fair

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An upcoming resource fair in Henderson may be just the spot to learn about services available to help people who are recently released from prison.

The Kerr-Tar Re-Entry Roundtable is scheduled for Wednesday, April 21 at the Aycock Recreation Center, 307 Carey Chapel Road. The event will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is designed to provide resources to individuals or family members who need to find ways to help loved ones have a successful return to their community after they have served their sentences in correctional facilities.

James Johnson, program director for the Raleigh-based Family Resource Center South Atlantic, and Desiree Brooks, business services manager for the Kerr-Tar workforce development board, discussed the upcoming event with John C. Rose on Monday’s Town Talk.

Brooks and Johnson said the resource fair is designed for anyone recently released from prison who may need help getting back on their feet, from finding a place to live to getting help finding a job.

“We really want to help,” Johnson said, adding that this is one way to show those with prison records that there is hope for life after prison. “We’re going help you get to where you need to go,” he added.

There’s no need to make an appointment – just go to Aycock Recreation Center to learn about available resources. Lunch also will be provided to all participants.

Johnson’s program can start helping people as much as six months before they are released from prison. Family members can provide basic information to get the process started so there is a support system in place when the prisoner is released.

Brooks said participants also can learn about job opportunities from the Kerr-Tar workforce development resource table.

“We’ll be able to talk to people and let them know about employers that are willing to give them that second chance.” She said there are many employers in the five-county region Kerr-Tar serves that “are re-entry friendly and believe in second chances.”

Johnson’s program, funded by the N.C. Department of Labor, can help with things like purchasing work clothes, as well as paying for CDL certification and OSHA certification through partnerships with Vance-Granville Community College.

“Whatever it takes to get you self-sufficient,” Johnson said, is what he and his program are prepared to do. “We meet you where you are — we understand some people aren’t where they want to be yet, but we’ll meet you there.”

Visit www.kerrtarworks.com to learn more or call 252.438.6129.

For complete details and audio click play.

 

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TownTalk 4-15-21; Traffic, Pedestrians plus Baseball Umpiring

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Thank you for listening to WIZS Radio. Your Community Voice!

TownTalk for 4-15-21

I-85 weird interchanges at all three major exits in Henderson.

Pedestrian dangers.

Plus, a special guest baseball umpire.

Broadcast Audio for TownTalk 4-15-21

TownTalk 4-13-21 NC Medicaid Open Enrollment

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Vance County residents enrolled in Medicaid have until May 14 to choose from one of six managed health plans that best suit their needs, and the local Department of Social Services is sponsoring a couple of drive-thru informational events to help in the decision-making.

The first event is scheduled for Friday, April 30, with a second on Friday, May 7, according to DSS Director Denita DeVega.

She and Goldie Davis, income maintenance administrator with DSS, spoke with John C. Rose on Tuesday’s Town Talk. Both events will be held at the DSS offices, located at 350 Ruin Creek Road, Henderson. Times for each day are 10 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

DeVega said that, so far, only about 400 of the county’s more than 13,000 Medicaid recipients have chosen a managed care plan. “I’m afraid that people may not be taking it seriously this time.” The process was started last year but ultimately wasn’t approved at the state level. Davis said those who haven’t chosen a health plan by the mid-May deadline will have a plan chosen for them. The new plan goes into effect on July 1, she said.

“One of the advantages of enrolling yourself,” Davis said, “is that you’ll be able to choose the plan that best suits you.” For example, beneficiaries may decide to choose a plan based on which plan their current primary care physician (PCP) is included in, Davis added.

DeVega said the benefits of Medicaid will not change, rather it will be managed more like traditional health care. Medicaid is currently managed by the state, but Medicaid recipients will choose from six managed health care plans to administer their health coverage.

There will be printed information about each of the plans at the drive-thru events so people can read more about what each plan offers before making a decision. DSS is not involved in choosing the health plan for recipients, but the department is providing information and having plan representatives available to answer questions. Each county DSS has a liaison assigned to help people choose the plan that is best for them. Call the toll-free number 833.870.5500 or learn more online at ncmedicaidplans.gov.

DeVega and Davis invite the community to come to the drive-thru event if they have questions. “If they’re not sure what to do,” Davis said, “we can assist them in getting the information they need to enroll in the health plan.”

For complete details and audio click play.

 

Salvation Army

TownTalk 04-12-21; Capt. Derrick Smith, Henderson Salvation Army Service Events

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The local Salvation Army is the site for several upcoming activities to benefit the community, from medicine giveaways to summer camp, as well as a donation event Saturday to collect food and personal hygiene items.

The Henderson Rotary Club is partnering with the Salvation Army for the April 17 event as part of its Day of Service; Capt. Derrick Smith of the Henderson Salvation Army – and a Rotarian for almost 20 years – told John C. Rose Monday that this is just one way to spread the word about his organization as it helps the community.

“We’ve had such a tough year,” Smith said, referring to the COVID-19 pandemic. “This is a way for us to work together and build on helping our community in these uncertain times.” Smith said he hopes that many folks will come out to make a donation, from canned foods to pasta, oatmeal to ready-to-eat “pop-top” items and anything in between. And, he said, one of the familiar Salvation Army kettles will be on-site to accept monetary donations. Additional needs include hand sanitizer, throw blankets and toilet paper.

Please bring donations between 9 a.m. and noon to the facility at 2292 Ross Mill Road in Henderson.

Smith said having the Salvation Army be the backdrop for community events gives him the opportunity to share that it’s a church as well. “All donations will go to help those families in need that need us most,” he said.

Make an online donation at https://www.salvationarmycarolinas.org/Henderson.

Smith said he is very appreciative of the community’s effort and groups like Rotary to support the Salvation Army, which allows him and his group to fulfill its mission “to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.” Groups such as Rotary with similar missions to help people and place “service over self” makes for a good fit with the Salvation Army.

Smith said folks can register for and pick up a variety of over-the-counter medications that will be distributed on April 30 when NC Medassist comes to town. This free event will be held at the Salvation Army as well, and Smith said collaboration with community organizations like the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce and Triangle North Foundation helped to make this event possible.

“We are honored to host it at our facility,” Smith said. “It will be a huge day for our community” to be able to help people with everything from cough and cold medicines to allergy medications.

An assortment of medications will be available for distribution between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., but event organizers advise registering online at www.ncmedassist.org.The medicines will be given out on a first come, first served basis.

“This is a community effort,” Smith said. “We’re hoping that everybody will participate in some way,” whether it’s to pick up medicines or to volunteer. Volunteers are needed, he said. Sign up at www.medassist.org/volunteers.

The Red Shield Club, a summer camp for children ages 6-17, is celebrating its second year. Camp begins on June 14 and runs for nine weeks, Smith said. There is a $25 registration fee and weekly sessions are $60 per week, or $500 for the whole summer. This year’s camp has an Olympics theme, he said, adding that there are opportunities for field trips and other sports activities and arts and crafts to keep campers engaged and interested. He praised staff, parents and campers for their cooperation last year to adhere to pandemic restrictions. If you need a safe place for your children to come to,” the Red Shield Club could be the right fit, he said.

“Our staff has done a phenomenal job of keeping everybody safe – that’s our big thing – safety first,” he said. “We are very pleased to get to a new day of summer camp which we opened up last year.”

Applications are available at the Salvation Army. Call the office at 252.438.7107 to learn more.

For complete details and audio click play.

 

TownTalk 04-08-21 History Of Franklin Co. with Eric Medlin

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Although a native of Creedmoor and Granville County, when Eric Medlin was inspired by a professor at NC State to write a book on a local North Carolina county it wasn’t Granville that he chose to write about but Franklin County. His book, A History of Franklin County North Carolina, has recently been published by Acadia Publishing.

Medlin’s interest in history didn’t begin at the local level. He studied European history at both UNC and NC State. His interest in that particular area of history, however, would change. “Coming out of grad school I decided European History was not where I wanted to go,” Medlin said. He began to take weekend trips throughout North Carolina to visit county courthouses and became interested in the history of North Carolina’s counties. Medlin noted several reasons to write about Franklin County. One reason was because it had been forty years since a book on the county had been written, the beautiful churches in Louisburg and Laurel Mill. According to Medlin, “Franklin County captured my imagination.”

Medlin said the process of writing the first word to the moment it was submitted to the publisher took about a year. With access to the Franklin Times, diaries of families, and access to previous books Medlin was able to pull the book together fairly quickly. Weekends were used to take photographs and he spent numerous days at the state archives office gathering material for this book. “I have no writer’s block,” Medlin said about the writing process.

Medlin said the most difficult decision in writing the book was what to include and what not to include. Earlier books by E. H. Davis and T. H. Pearce focused on different areas of the country history and Medlin wanted to update those earlier works to include more about the post-World War II era including Civil Rights and county’s evolution through the 20th century. He also felt it important to talk about Louisburg writer and poet Edwin Wiley Fuller and Franklin County being the site of the last battle of the Tuscarora war.

When not writing Eric is a Professor of History at Wake Tech. Medlin’s next book project will focus on the history of the North Carolina Furniture industry.

“A History of Franklin County, North Carolina” can be purchased from any local bookseller and online.

For complete details and audio click play.

 

TownTalk 04-07-21 Juvenile Offenders; Gun Violence

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What are some of the steps taken in North Carolina when a juvenile is a suspect or person of interest in a crime?

For one thing, it matters if the crime is a felony and if so what letter.  Felonies are grouped by letters, with letter A, for example, being first degree murder.  A felony with a letter of I, for example, might be a drug crime of some sort.  A second thing that matters is has the juvenile been tried and convicted as an adult before – the once an adult, always an adult law (N.C. G.S. 7B-1604).

North Carolina juvenile delinquency law as of Dec. 1, 2019 looks at ages 6-15 as being juveniles for all offenses and ages 16-17 for all non-motor vehicle offenses as being juveniles.  The exception is – any juvenile with a previous criminal conviction, other than a misdemeanor or infraction motor vehicle offense not involving impaired driving, must be processed as an adult.

How the juvenile may be processed when felony charges are involved and he/she is 16 or 17 years old follows a bit of a flow chart as well.  An A-G felony with a finding of probable cause or return of bill of indictment results in a mandatory transfer to superior court.  An H-I felony with a finding of probably cause results in a discretionary transfer to superior court.

The “Raise the Age” Initiative, an NC Legislature-passed law, raised the age of juvenile jurisdiction for nonviolent crimes to age 18 effective December 1, 2019.

In March of 2019, District Attorney Mike Waters told WIZS TownTalk the change would significantly increase the juvenile court workload as the majority of 16 and 17-year-olds, currently tried automatically as adults in NC, will be tried as juveniles when the law goes into effect.

Under the new law, exceptions exist for 16 and 17-year-olds who commit felonies that are classified as A-D – including murder, robbery and burglary – in addition to DWI and other traffic offenses, firearm charges and gang-related offenses.

“North Carolina is one of the last two states in the nation to charge 16-year-olds as adults,” Waters said at the time in 2019. “I want to reassure the public that, under the new law, the DA’s office will have the discretion to prosecute juveniles that commit serious crimes as adults.”

As for the reason behind raising the age limit for juvenile prosecutions, Waters said research and statistics make a compelling case.

“Research shows that many 16 and 17-year-olds that get involved in the court system may not get involved with it again. Tracking someone forever and giving them a record at a young age creates a certain outcome. Also, 16 and 17-year-olds are not thinking the same way that 18, 19 and 21-year-olds are thinking.”

If you follow the suspect, warrant, arrest pattern for adults, those 18 and over, it is just that.  First a suspect with warrant issued for arrest, or arrested on-view with the State as complainant, then appearing before a magistrate and being charged and detained or bonded or released — in the most simple of terms.

Also in broad terms, once a juvenile is taken into custody, then juvenile services comes and a decision is made on whether to transport the juvenile to a secure facility.  The juvenile is granted a probable cause hearing and the decision about being transferred to superior court is made.

For the Wednesday, April 7, 2021 broadcast of TownTalk, hosts John C. Rose and Bill Harris discussed juvenile offenders and gun violence in the local area and nation.

<This is a news article.  This is not legal advice.>

For complete details and audio click play.

 

Kerr Tar Regional Council of Governments

TownTalk 04-01-21 Powerful Tools For Caregivers Classes

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Family members who find themselves caring for a loved one – especially those caring for someone with a chronic health condition – often need to find ways to cope with the stress that comes along with the care they give.

A virtual workshop called Powerful Tools for Caregivers, sponsored by the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments, is designed especially to show caregivers how to care for themselves, according to Susan Tucker, evidence-based health care coordinator for Kerr-Tar COG. She and Austin Caton, family caregiver support specialist, spoke with John C. Rose on Thursday’s Town Talk about the workshop and some suggestions and strategies it offers.

The first of the 6-session workshops will be on Tuesday, April 20, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. A second 6-session workshop begins on Tuesday, May 6, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Contact Tucker at 252.436.2040 to learn more or sign up for the class.

It’s different if you’re caring for someone with the flu or a broken leg, which are short-term conditions – there’s an end in sight. The flu will run its course, the broken leg will mend. But someone caring for a family member – unusually unpaid – must deal with extra challenges.

Tucker said the workshop is for “anyone who is providing care for a chronically ill loved one. No matter how that takes shape – whether it’s a child caring for an aging parent or whether it’s a parent caring for their disabled child.” She said many family members often provide unpaid care, and this workshop will offer strategies that support the well-being – physical and mental – of the person who provides the care.

For complete details and audio click play.

Caton said previous participants have appreciated learning techniques to reduce stress and anxiety, as well as learning about how caregiving stresses the body.

“One of the unique things about this program is geared toward the caregiver, but it’s not just a checklist,” he said. Participants receive concrete strategies to implement to “alleviate some of these symptoms, both physically and mentally.”

As a caregiver herself, Tucker said the class was recommended to her. She completed the class and said she was eager to share it with others who found themselves in a similar situation. All caregivers get overwhelmed at one point or another, she said, and that’s when they reach out for help. “Don’t wait until you’re at the end of your rope,” she said. The Powerful Tools class can help prevent that from happening, she said. “It’s not just the what to do, it’s the how to do it.”

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Caton would visit homes, conduct assessments and provide support to caregivers who had questions about everything from dementia support groups and mobility issues to navigating Medicaid and locating other resources to help the family member being cared for.

But there is little information about just exactly how a caregiver is supposed to take care of himself or herself, Tucker said. This class will guide participants through the process of learning how to provide self-care while being a caregiver to someone else.

“This class is about you, caregivers. It’s not about what you have to do, it’s not about the person you’re caring for, it’s all about you. There aren’t many things out there for us caregivers that feel that way, but this one feels that way because it IS that way,” Tucker said.