Tag Archive for: #towntalk

Salvation Army Kettle Bell

Town Talk 11/30/20: Salvation Army’s Angel Tree, Christmas Bell Ringers Underway

THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

Captains Derrick and Odessa Smith, husband and wife team with The Salvation Army of Henderson, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Monday at 11 a.m. to discuss the ministry’s holiday events.

Angel Tree & Forgotten Angels

The Salvation Army of Henderson encourages the community to help a child in need this Christmas season by taking a name, either physically or virtually, from the “Angel Tree.” This annual program brightens the holidays by providing new clothing and toys to local children.

According to Odessa, 300 children from the surrounding area will participate in the program this year.

As part of its “Forgotten Angels Drive,” The Salvation Army also encourages the community to consider supporting children ages 10 to 12 who are often left on the tree in favor of younger kids.

How it Works:

  • Virtually – click here or visit The Salvation Army of Henderson’s Facebook page for information on adopting an angel online.
  • In-person – choose a tag off the Angel Trees located at participating Walmart stores (coming soon) or at The Salvation Army of Henderson. Please wear a mask and practice social distancing when coming in-person.
  • Provide age-appropriate, new toys and clothes for the child(ren).
  • Place the angel tag number and name of the child on all bag(s) of donated items.
  • Deliver unwrapped gifts to The Salvation Army at 2292 Ross Mill Road in Henderson, NC Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. by December 11, 2020.
  • You may also go to www.walmart.com/registry/registryforgood and enter your location as 27536 to select “Angel Tree of Henderson” (or click here). Items may be purchased online and shipped directly to The Salvation Army of Henderson.

Contact Captain Odessa Smith at (252) 432-7766 or email odessa.smith@uss.salvationarmy.org with any questions.

Kettle Bell Ringers

The Salvation Army is currently accepting volunteer bell ringers that can serve now through December 24, 2020, from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m.

Youth are welcome; adult supervision may be required based on age. Individual ringers will be placed at locations for two to four-hour shifts. When volunteers are not available, The Salvation Army must hire ringers, which reduces the funds available for services.

There are over 20 bell-ringing locations across Vance, Granville, Franklin, Northampton, Halifax and Warren counties. Groups willing to cover a location for an entire day can choose any approved location.

In addition to the traditional method of placing change in the red kettle, donors may also place money in the “virtual kettle” by using their Smartphone to access Google Pay or Apple Pay at the stand. The Salvation Army’s Facebook page also has a scan code that can be used with a Smartphone to donate money to the virtual kettle.

All Red Kettle Campaign proceeds support The Salvation Army of Henderson’s Christmas and year-round programs.

For more information or to volunteer, visit www.registertoring.com or contact Captain Derrick Smith at (252) 432-7474 or via email at derrick.smith@uss.salvationarmy.org.

“The reality is there is a 40 percent increase in need this year, whether from COVID or other circumstances,” explained Derrick. “We are truly blessed and honored to be able to help those that come through our door. We couldn’t do it without volunteers or folks that donate to The Salvation Army.”

To hear the interview in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.

Charles Boyd

Town Talk 11/24/20: Charles Boyd Talks Car Business, Growing Up in Vance County

100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

Guest host Brandon Boyd interviewed someone near and dear to his own heart for Tuesday’s segment of Town Talk, his father Charles Henry Boyd. Many in the community may know Charles as the owner of Charles Boyd Chevrolet Buick GMC in Henderson.

Born in Henderson in 1949, Charles, with the exception of his years in college, has called Vance County home all of his life. “Henderson has always been home,” he said. “It’s been a great life. Vance County has been so very good to us; a great place to live and to work.”

A child in the 50s and a teenager in the 60s, Charles said he has many memories of good times spent with his three brothers, family and friends. “I have memories of going downtown, going to the Embassy and going to the Stevenson Theatre. You could take about 15 cents to spend your evening and have a great time.”

Interested in cars since he was old enough to remember, Charles said he spent his younger years going with his father and brothers to tobacco warehouses to prospect vehicles, and later working after school “polishing cars, cleaning hubcaps and washing engines” at the used car lot.

Brandon Boyd (left) and Charles Boyd (right) pictured with one of their classic cars.

“Me and my three brothers, Maurice, Glenn and Jerry, have always had a passion for cars,” said Charles. “My father started off in farming and then went into the used car business.”

That passion continues today with Charles and his brothers collecting classic cars. “We collect cars, which is a great pastime, and we share the thrills in finding these cars and reselling them,” Charles stated. “We try to find cars that have been stored, that don’t have many miles; we like originality. It’s an enjoyment when you find something and think there’s not another one like it in the world. It’s not what you end up with; it’s the chase of finding something.”

Charles continued, “The car business has been a great part of my life. It’s been good to me and my family. Vance County has supported us in so many ways. We try to give everybody a fair and honest deal. My dad was known for being honest and looking out for customers, and that’s what we try to do.”

After starting out at Boyd Auto Sales on Garnett Street and selling his first used car at 11, Charles rented an available used car lot on Raleigh Road upon graduating Atlantic Christian College. According to Charles, rent was $75 a month, and the lot had no bathroom or running water.

“Today, we have a facility that’s state-of-the-art; we’ve come a long way,” Charles said. “It’s not what we’ve done, but what Vance County has done for us.”

Charles Boyd Chevrolet Buick GMC is located at 250 Ruin Creek Road in Henderson, NC.

To hear the interview with Charles and Brandon in its entirety, including more on growing up in Henderson and the car business, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.

Granville Vance Public Health Logo

Town Talk 11/25/20: Harrison Discusses COVID at Courthouse, Senior Citizens Home

100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

Lisa Harrison, director of Granville-Vance Public Health (GVPH), appeared on WIZS Town Talk Wednesday at 11 a.m.

According to Harrison, GVPH and its support teams have been working with the local public school systems, private schools and charter schools to ensure safety and to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as much as possible.

“We have some dedicated nurses who have been working really hard since March with our school systems who are trying to figure out how to manage in this new world order of COVID-19,” said Harrison. “We are trying to provide enough data, updates and information for our school systems to make good decisions and to manage any outbreaks or clusters.”

At this time of Thanksgiving, Harrison said she is thankful for the positive working relationships that she and GVPH have with community partners. Addressing one such partner, the Vance County Court System, Harrison said their partnership led to the quick handling of the Vance County Courthouse’s recently reported cluster of positive COVID cases.

“We have taken a tour of the courthouse a number of times over the past eight months just to make sure we’re informing all on the procedures that are new and different, to make sure that people are screened and to make sure that we are preventing the spread of COVID as much as possible,” explained Harrison. “Unfortunately, it [COVID spread] still happens.”

Due to a reported COVID cluster, Vance County court sessions were canceled beginning November 19 and will remain canceled through December 3, 2020, as of the time of this posting. The courthouse will remain open for necessary business during this time.

Clarifying the term COVID ‘cluster’ versus an ‘outbreak,’ Harrison said clusters are defined as five or more cases in one location that are tied together. Clusters are also commonly referred to in locations that are not healthcare-related, such as schools and courthouses.

Outbreaks, on the other hand, are defined as two or more cases in healthcare settings and long-term care facilities where the spread can be more rapid and detrimental if not quickly controlled.

Data reported ahead of Thanksgiving Day indicated 1,604 total confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in Vance County, with 446 known active cases.

Of those 1,604 cases, 1,434 are associated with community spread, 58 are associated with Pelican Health of Henderson, 49 are associated with Kerr Lake Nursing Home, 62 are associated with Senior Citizens Nursing Home (42 of which are new and still active) and one is associated with Alliance Rehabilitative Care.

These numbers include 54 individuals who have died from COVID-related complications in Vance County.

COVID testing is ongoing through Maria Parham Health, GVPH and private institutions. Please visit www.gvph.org/COVID-19/ for the latest local information.

To hear the interview with Harrison in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.

Beach Music Blast

Town Talk 11/23/20: Christie Officially Inducted Into Carolina Beach Music Hall of Fame

THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

Pat Christie, 2020 inductee into the Carolina Beach Music Awards Hall of Fame, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Monday at 11 a.m.

WIZS Beach Blast host Trey Snide interviewed Christie, who happens to be his father-in-law.

From Durham, NC, Christie started playing the guitar when he was nine-years-old and has been involved with several bands throughout his music career, including The Spring Fever Band, The Fabulous Hot Dog Daddy O’s and The Castaways. The Castaways were inducted as a group into the Beach Music Hall of Fame in 2014.

With COVID canceling plans for an in-person induction ceremony in Myrtle Beach this year, Christie said he and his family listened to the radio-broadcasted induction via the On the Beach With Charlie Brown program last weekend.

Christie, who prepared an acceptance speech for the occasion, was inducted by good friend and well-known beach music vocalist Terri Gore. While he did know that Gore would be inducting him on the radio, Christie’s family surprised him by inviting Gore, “the original ‘Carolina Girl,’” and her husband to attend the watch party.

“I turned around, and there was one of my best friends in the whole wide world, Terri Gore. It was awesome; it just blew me away. Then to hear Terri say the very kind things she said on the radio about my accomplishments, our friendship through the years and beach music was touching. To hear her say the words that she was officially inducting me into the Hall of Fame was one of the greatest moments of my life.”

Be sure to listen to the Beach Music Blast live on WIZS 1450 AM, 100.1 FM or online at www.wizs.com (click Listen Live) from 12 until 1 p.m. every Monday – Friday.

To hear the interview with Christie in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.

Grace Ministries

Town Talk 11/23/20: Grace Ministries Announces Toy Drive, Free After-School Child Care

100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

Jamie Elliott, founder of GRACE Ministries of Henderson, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Monday at 11 a.m.

After-School Program

Elliott announced that GRACE Ministries will offer a free-of-charge, Christ-centered after-school program for children in grades 1-5 beginning January 11, 2021. After-school care will be offered at the group’s 961 Burr Street facility in Henderson on Mondays from 3:30 – 5:30 p.m.

With 20 spots already filled, space is available for approximately 20 more children. According to Elliott, masks will be worn at all times, and children will be divided into smaller groups in separate classrooms to follow social distancing recommendations during the COVID pandemic.

“We are offering this to the youth in our community at no charge,” said Elliott. “If someone wants to give donations to the after school program, then that will be accepted. We want to do something to give back to the youth in our community.”

Christmas Toy Drive

While COVID has altered GRACE Ministries’ annual toy drive and its usual drop off locations, Elliott said new and gently-used toys are being collected at participating Henderson Dollar General locations or by contacting Elliott directly at (252) 204-3617.

A specific date and more details regarding the toy distribution event will be announced closer to Christmas.

Tuesday Night Addiction Ministry

GRACE Ministries holds ongoing, weekly addiction recovery meetings on Tuesday evenings starting at 7 p.m. at the Burr Street location.

Participants are asked to wear a mask and practice social distancing; all are welcome.

While COVID concerns have reduced the in-person numbers, Elliott said meetings are still averaging 20-25 people a week. If meetings become too crowded to follow COVID guidelines, a parking lot radio service can be made available.

“We try to give something different every week whether it be a devotion out of the bible or scripture to let people know there is hope with drugs and alcohol,” said Elliott. “That hope is through Jesus Christ.”

For more information on GRACE Ministries, please visit the website at www.graceofhenderson.org, the Facebook page at GRACE Ministries of Henderson or call Elliott at (252) 204-3617.

To hear the interview with Elliott in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.

Townsville Railroad

Town Talk 11/19/20: Historic, Local Significance of the Railroad

100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

Mark Pace, local historian and director of the NC Room at the Richard H. Thornton Library in Oxford, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Thursday at 11 a.m.

In an ongoing Town Talk series focusing on the history of Henderson, Vance County and the immediate four-county vicinity, Pace and WIZS’ own Bill Harris discussed the importance of railroads on the emergence of local communities and towns.

The first railroad in the area was the Raleigh and Gaston Railroad that opened in 1840 between Raleigh and Gaston, NC.

“After 1840, some of the local communities that came into existence as a direct result of the railroad include Littleton, Vaughan, Macon, Norlina, Ridgeway, Manson, Middleburg, Henderson, Franklinton, Kittrell, Youngsville, Bullock, Stem, Creedmoor, Virgilina, Bunn, Hollister, Wise, the Watkins Community, Dabney and Stovall,” said Pace.

“The coming of the railroad to our area was one of the most significant events since the settlement of this area by Europeans and their descendants,” Pace stated. “It profoundly changed things on so many levels.”

To hear the interview in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.

The Warren Plains Depot, originally part of the Raleigh and Gaston Railroad, remains in use for the sale of antiques today. Its appearance has remained relatively unchanged for over 150 years. (Photo courtesy Betsy and Billy Frazier)

Locomotive in front of J.J. White’s store in Townsville, NC circa 1908-1918. (Photo courtesy the North Carolina Room – Thornton Library)

Wood-fired engine of the Roanoke Valley Railroad at Townsville, NC circa 1918. (Photo courtesy the North Carolina Room – Thornton Library)

The Roanoke River Railway near Townsville, NC – March 1918. (Photo courtesy the North Carolina Room – Thornton Library)

Kerr Tar Regional Council of Governments

Town Talk 11/18/20: Mental Health & the Holiday Blues

100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

Nancy Hux, the community engagement specialist with Cardinal Innovations Healthcare, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Wednesday at 11 a.m. Nancy Francis, director with the Kerr-Tar Agency on Aging, facilitated the segment.

This edition of Town Talk is a paid advertising sponsorship with the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments.

With over 20 years in the mental health field, Hux currently provides training in the areas of mental health, substance use and intellectual developmental disabilities.

With the holidays quickly approaching, and with the COVID-19 pandemic and related news still very much a part of daily life, Hux said now is an opportune time to discuss mental health.

“Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being,” Hux explained. “It affects how we think, feel, and act. Our mental health determines how we handle stresses in our lives, how we react or respond in our relationships with others and determines the choices we make. Mental health is important at every stage of life – from childhood to adolescence and throughout adulthood.”

Hux said one in five people, while not necessarily officially diagnosed, will experience a mental health issue in any given year.

“No one is immune to mental health issues, so that is why it is so important to know yourself and know when you are not feeling your best. It’s also important to identify key people in your life that you are comfortable reaching out to when you need to talk,” said Hux.

While there are many mental health disorders, the most common are anxiety and depression.

“Life affects our mental health,” Hux said. “I typically tell people in our trainings that as long as you are living, life happens, and when life happens, it brings with it the ups and downs that affect our mental health.”

Signs of a mental health issue include:

  • Changes in how you feel (both mentally and physically)
  • Less desire to do the things that you used to enjoy (hobbies, socializing, etc.)
  • Changes in sleep patterns (sleeping too much or not sleeping enough)
  • Changes in your appetite (eating too much or not enough)
  • Becoming more emotional or less emotional

With COVID-19 changing routines and social interactions, the holidays will look very different for many this year. According to Hux, one of the best ways to ease loneliness is to reach out to someone else, in a safe manner, that may also be lonely.

Tips for reaching out include:

  • Ask a friend or loved one to pick up greeting cards and stamps so you can handwrite cards and mail them to your friends and family. You could also include one of your simple, favorite recipes for them to cook during the holidays.
  • Reach out by phone; it will brighten your day as well as theirs.
  • Talk to others online with programs such as Zoom.
  • Stay spiritually healthy; identify what is important to you spiritually and keep those practices in place (reading, listening to music, meditation, etc.). Attend church online.
  • Decorate for the holidays, even if you are not having the traditional family get together.
  • Have a friend drop off a holiday or Christmas puzzle to put together or do word search or crossword puzzles.
  • Talk with your physician about your health and a safe level of exercise.

Additional resources include:

  • Local Senior Centers
  • Meals on Wheels programs that provide one meal a day for five-to-seven days a week; check with your local Council on Aging programs for assistance.
  • Your general physician/doctor’s office.

Cardinal Innovations Healthcare also has a network of providers that are available to assist with linking you to professional counselors, therapists or other resources. Please call 1-800-939-5911 or visit online at www.cardinalinnovations.org.

To hear the interview in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.

(This edition of Town Talk is part of a paid advertising sponsorship with the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments.)

Town Talk Logo

Town Talk 11/17/20: Should President Trump Concede?

100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

John Charles Rose and Bill Harris appeared on WIZS Town Talk Tuesday at 11 a.m. to discuss the 2020 presidential election and whether or not President Trump should concede.

Click play to hear the audio…

Frank B. Newell III

Town Talk 11/16/20: Remembering Frank ‘The Bluebird Man’ Newell III

100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

-Photos courtesy Kristye Steed

Kristye Steed, wildlife rehabilitator and daughter of Frank “The Bluebird Man” Newell III, appeared on WIZS’ Town Talk Monday at 11 a.m.

A long-time wildlife rehabilitator and Warren County native, Newell, age 80, died peacefully at home on November 7, 2020.

Newell served active duty in the US Army for 38 years and as an NC State and Federal Wildlife Rehabilitator for more than 60 years. Steed said her father saved the lives of thousands of sick and injured animals, rehabilitating them on the family farm and releasing them back into their natural habitat.

According to Steed, upon retiring from the military, Newell began to notice that the changing landscape was affecting the population of the Eastern Bluebird in Warren County.

“He noticed that hardwoods and forests had been cleared, and most wooden posts had been replaced with metal posts.” Steed explained, “Bluebirds are cavity nesters; they can’t build a nest on a tree limb like a robin or a cardinal.”

It was a chance encounter with a bluebird that gave Newell a sense of direction in how to solve that problem. Steed said, “He always told the story that he was sitting on his front porch one morning, drinking a cup of coffee, and saw a bluebird in the dogwood tree next to him. He felt like it was a sign that the bluebird was asking to have a home built. So, he went to his woodshop and started building a bluebird house.”

What started at a pace of approximately two bluebird homes completed each weekend grew to include “hundreds of volunteers” that have completed 365,000 houses to date. Newell’s bluebird houses have been distributed to all 50 US states as well as several other countries.

Steed said many of the volunteer builders are members of the Lake Gaston Striper Club that “fish in the summer and build bluebird houses in the winter.”

Once considered an endangered species due to their decline, the work of Newell’s Eastern Bluebird Rescue Group resulted in the removal of bluebirds from the list. “That is one of his major accomplishments in life,” Steed said. “In fact, Warren County Commissioners deemed Warren County the bluebird capital of the world several years ago.”

In addition to bluebirds, Steed said Newell was also well-known for his work with wolves. “They are his second love,” remarked Steed. “They are often portrayed as big, bad and angry in stories like ‘Little Red Riding Hood,’ but they are actually very docile animals.”

Acquiring several wolves from a zoo in Ohio, Newell used the animals for educational purposes, conducting lectures and programs for schools, scouts, church groups and more.

With his recent passing, Steed said she and her family plan to honor her father’s legacy by keeping the bluebird operation and the wildlife rehabilitation going. So far this year, the family has released 39 baby fawns in addition to numerous squirrels, rabbits, hawks and eagles.

To hear the interview in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.

Town Talk Logo

Town Talk 11/16/20: Deputy Sheriff Charged With Extortion; Increase in COVID Cases

100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

– Vance County Deputy Sheriff Mitch Pittman turned himself into the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation after being charged with two counts of Extortion and two counts of Obstruction of Justice.

– Local cases of COVID-19 continue to rise.

Click play for the Town Talk audio…