Tag Archive for: #towntalk

WIZS Election Coverage

Town Talk 11/5/20: Remaining Pathways to Presidential Victory

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Brandon Boyd, Vance County resident, businessman and guest co-host, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Thursday at 11 a.m.

Boyd and WIZS’ John Charles Rose discussed the latest election developments as well as Trump’s and Biden’s remaining pathways to a presidential victory. Callers also expressed their opinions and shared their insights.

Click play to hear the interview in its entirety…

I Voted Sticker

Town Talk 11/4/20: Democrats Sweep Local Elections

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In a special post-election segment of WIZS Town Talk Wednesday at 11 a.m., local results dominated the discussion.

Even in the midst of a pandemic, enough Vance County voters cast ballots to top the 2016 election totals. According to the NC State Board of Elections, 71 percent (21,062 out of 29,702) of registered Vance County voters voted in the 2020 election versus 66 percent in 2016.

Locally, Democratic candidates emerged victorious. In the Vance County Board of Commissioners District 2 race, incumbent Archie B. Taylor, Jr. (DEM) defeated challenger Michael B. Fisher (UN). Taylor received 1,672 votes, or 60 percent, to Fisher’s 1,123 votes, or 40 percent.

With this win, Taylor maintains the position he has held with the Board since 2012.

In the District 3 NC Senate race, Vance County resident Thomas “Tommy” Hester, Jr. (REP) lost to Bertie County resident Ernestine Bazemore (DEM). Bazemore received 45,246, or 52 percent, of the votes to Hester’s 41,775, or 48 percent.

The District 3 seat represents Beaufort, Bertie, Martin, Northampton, Vance and Warren counties and consists of 85 precincts.

For the NC House of Representatives District 32 seat, Vance County resident and incumbent Terry E. Garrison (DEM) defeated David Woodson (REP) with 61 percent of the vote. Garrison received 23,967 votes to Woodson’s 15,221.

In the Vance Soil & Water Conservation District Supervisor contest, B.K. Stainback defeated Charles E. Powell by a vote of 10,303 to 6,983.

Uncontested Vance County Seats:

Carolyn Faines (DEM) – Vance County Board of Commissioners District 1

Dorothy Williams Gooche (DEM) – Vance County Board of Commissioners District 3

Leo Kelly, Jr. (DEM) – Vance County Board of Commissioners District 5

Yolanda J. Feimster (DEM) – Vance County Board of Commissioners District 6

Edward Wilson (DEM) – Vance County Board of Education District 4

Linda Faye Cobb (DEM) – Vance County Board of Education District 5

Note: Election data is unofficial until all votes are canvassed by the respective Boards of Election. Percentages reported above were rounded to the nearest whole number.

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

Election Day

Town Talk 11/3/20: Stay Tuned to WIZS for Election Coverage!

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

Listen Local tonight after 7:30 when the polls close – 1450 AM / 100.1 FM

Listen Live online at anytime, anywhere with a computer, smartphone, tablet and connected devices and speakers –

https://player.listenlive.co/53101

WIZS is also on Tunein – https://tunein.com/radio/WIZS-1450-s29736/

Tell “Alexa” to “Listen to WIZS.com on Tunein.”We are right here with you, your local radio station, your community voice, your home on the radio!!

Turn the TV sound off. You’ll see all you need on the screen of the TV. Listen to local radio for the call of the Vance County Commissioners Race, Gubernatorial Race in NC, U.S. Senate, President.

We’ll also have our mix of Country, Beach, Oldies plus the added Big Bang/Jazz standards you’ve come to expect on Election Night on WIZS!

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Brandon Boyd, Vance County resident, businessman and guest co-host, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Tuesday at 11 a.m. for a special Election Day 2020 presentation.  Boyd will re-join for election night coverage this evening as well.

“America is going to speak to us tonight,” said Boyd. “She’s going to tell us the direction we are going to be heading for the next four years in terms of the President, the next six in terms of the Senate seats; lots of House seats also up for grabs tonight. It’s just going to be an exciting night for America.”

To hear the audio, click play…

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Town Talk 11/02/20: Cooper vs. Forest, Tillis vs. Cunningham

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

Brandon Boyd, Vance County resident, businessman and guest co-host, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Monday at 11 a.m.

Boyd discussed the backgrounds and platforms of North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper (Democrat) and challenger Dan Forest (Republican) as well as US Senator for NC Thom Tillis (Republican) and challenger Cal Cunningham (Democrat).

To hear the audio click play…

Locally, eligible Vance County residents will decide if Democrat Archie Taylor, Jr., the incumbent for the District 2 representative of the Vance County Board of Commissioners, will keep the position he has held since 2012 or if challenger Michael Fisher (running as unaffiliated) will take the seat.

Voters will also decide if Tommy Hester (Republican) of Vance County or Ernestine Bazemore (Democrat) of Bertie County will serve in the District 3 NC Senate seat.

With the conclusion of early voting on October 31, North Carolinians have Tuesday, November 3 (Election Day) to vote in the 2020 General Election. Those voting tomorrow must report to their designated polling place; voting hours are from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.

Early morning and just before closing are typically the busiest times on Election Day. Those in line by 7:30 p.m. will be able to vote.

As a reminder, voters are not required to show ID for the 2020 election but will be asked to provide their name and address.

According to Vance County Board of Elections Director Faye Gill, 17,051 Vance County residents, or 58.6 percent, participated in early voting. Vance County currently has 29,075 registered voters.

In 2016, 66.3 percent of Vance County voters cast ballots in total (early voting and Election Day), according to the State Board of Elections.

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

Vance County, NC

Town Talk 10/29/20: History of Williamsboro, NC

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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 the second installment of 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 origins and first families of Williamsboro, NC.

Established in the 1750s, the town was first known as “Lick,” then “Nutbush” and finally “Williamsboro.” One of its most well-known historical buildings is St. John’s Episcopal Church that remains today as the oldest standing wooden church building in North Carolina.

To give listeners an idea of the historical significance of Williamsboro, Pace explained that the State of NC conducted an architectural and historical survey of Vance County in 1977. Of the 97 structures identified as “significant” in Vance County, 25 were located in Williamsboro. Pace said, unfortunately, only 10-11 of those structures remain today.

“Many of these structures were significant plantation houses; they were structures that dated back to the 1700s,” said Pace. “They were also significant because of the important people that lived there and their association with state history.”

To hear the interview in its entirety, including discussion on Williamsboro’s consideration as the state capitol, additional historical properties and ghost stories, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.

S-Line Rail Corridor

Town Talk 10/28/20: $47.5 Million Grant to Help Reconnect S-Line Rail Corridor

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

Jason Orthner, Rail Division Director with the N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT), appeared on WIZS Town Talk Wednesday at 11 a.m.

Orthner discussed the $47.5 million federal grant awarded to the Rail Division for the purchase of the S-Line railroad corridor, part of the Southeast Corridor, between Raleigh and Ridgeway in Warren County, NC.

According to a recent NC DOT press release, the U.S. Department of Transportation named the Southeast Corridor as one of the first five federally designated higher-speed rail corridors in the country in 1992. The Southeast Corridor is a network of passenger and freight rail that runs from Washington, D.C. to Jacksonville, Fla., encompassing D.C., Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida.

“The [NC DOT Rail Division] grant is specifically related to the acquisition of the S-Line rail corridor that runs from Petersburg, VA, down through Henderson and Vance County, into Raleigh and continues south through Cary, Apex, Sanford and Hamlet,” said Orthner.

Providing a brief history of the railroad, Orthner said the route through Henderson dates back to the 1830s and is one of the original railroads built in the country.

“In the late 1980s, the service changed because they truncated the line at Norlina, so they removed the tracks between Petersburg and Norlina,” said Orthner. “It’s now underutilized because it’s a stub-ended route, and the freight can only come in and out one way. So the acquisition of the corridor includes looking at how we can enhance freight by reconnecting the line north while also expanding passenger opportunities. We think it’s a great opportunity to do both on this line through this acquisition.”

To continue the project north, Orthner said DOT partners in Virginia are involved in similar acquisitions to connect the remaining line from Ridgeway to Petersburg.

According to the NCDOT, the Southeast is projected to see one of the largest population growths in the country over the coming decades. With a corresponding increase in freight volume expected, Orthner said improving rail infrastructure will reduce highway congestion and expand connectivity for both passengers and goods between states.

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

The Southeast Corridor is a network of passenger and freight rail that runs from Washington, D.C. to Jacksonville, Fla., encompassing D.C., Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. (Graphic courtesy the NCDOT)

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Town Talk 10/27/20: The Importance of the Electoral College & Your Vote

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Brandon Boyd, Vance County resident, businessman and guest co-host, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Tuesday at 11 a.m.

Boyd discussed an often misunderstood topic – how the Electoral College works. As stated in the segment, the intention of the program was to be informative, factual and non-partisan.

Devised in 1787, the Electoral College is the formal body that elects the President and Vice President of the United States. It was established by Article II, Section 1, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution and modified by the 12th and 23rd Amendments. (Source: National Conference of State Legislatures)

Each state has as many ‘electors’ in the Electoral College as it has representatives and senators in the United States Congress. For North Carolina, that includes two senators and 13 representatives, for a total of 15 electors.

The Electoral College currently comprises 538 electors: one for each of the 435 members of the House of Representatives, 100 senators and three for Washington, D.C. A majority of 270 electoral votes is required to elect the President and Vice President of the United States.

By this system, when an individual votes for a presidential candidate, a vote is also cast for the electors selected by the party of that candidate. If a majority of voters in a state vote for the Republican candidate, the Republican slate of electors is chosen. Likewise, if a majority vote for the Democratic candidate, the Democratic slate of electors is chosen.

Boyd said this indirect election system prohibits the largest metropolitan cities, with the majority of the country’s population, from deciding who will be president. “For example, in today’s time, if there was no Electoral College, then basically New York City, Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles and Houston would decide the leader for all of us,” explained Boyd. “The Electoral College really ensures that everyone’s vote does, in fact, count.”

It is possible – and has happened five times since the inception of the Electoral College – that a candidate can win the popular vote and still lose the election. In recent history, that includes Al Gore’s loss to George W. Bush in 2000 and Hillary Clinton’s loss to Donald J. Trump in 2016. (Source: History, Arts & Archives website of the U.S. House of Representatives)

“What you need to do is get out and vote,” Boyd said. “If you are a Donald Trump supporter, get to the polls. If you believe that America is better off with Joe Biden as its leader, get out to the polls and go vote. Your vote matters.”

To hear the interview in its entirety, including details on how individual states, counties and area codes matter in an election, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.

COVID Testing Events

Town Talk 10/26/20: GRRO, Partners Offer Free COVID-19 Testing This Week

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

Lucette Mercer, deputy director of Green Rural Redevelopment, Inc. (GRRO), appeared on WIZS Town Talk Monday at 11 a.m.

Mercer announced that free COVID-19 community testing and resource distribution events will be held this week in Vance, Granville and Warren County.

On Wednesday, October 28, 2020, COVID-19 testing will be held from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. at the public parking lot on the corner of Chestnut St. and Breckenridge St. in downtown Henderson.

On Thursday, October 29, testing will be held from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. at the Greater New Hope Baptist Church drive-thru parking lot located at 515 Raleigh Street in Oxford.

Finally, on Friday, October 30, testing will be held from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. at the Warren County Armory Civic Center located at 501 US Highway 158 Business East in Warrenton.

Residents tested at the event will also receive free groceries, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and access to support services. Testing and distributions will be provided through drive-up service, with minimal or no-contact.

These scheduled events are possible through GRRO’s Healing Hearts @ Home Program’s community health initiative partnership with Cardinal Innovations Healthcare, Duke Health, Warren County Public Health, Groundwater Solutions, Inc. (Genesis Project), Warren County and the Warren County Branch of the NAACP.

In Vance County, Mercer said Henderson City Councilmember Marion Brodie Williams has been instrumental in bringing the testing event to fruition.

“Councilmember Brodie Williams has been really helpful with putting the partnership together between Cardinal Innovations Healthcare, GRRO and the Genesis Project 1/Groundwater Solutions, Inc., which is the Charlotte-based organization contracted for doing COVID testing across the state,” said Mercer. “She has been helpful in getting us access to facilities and the cooperation of the City of Henderson, fire and police departments in assisting with managing traffic and getting resources together.”

Remarking on the significance of testing events that also serve as resource distributions, Mercer stated, “The COVID numbers are going up in the state of NC and nationwide. There are serious limitations to the resources that are available to the more rural areas. We really want people to understand how important it is that they are aware of their COVID-19 status and to know that there are support services available to them should they become infected.”

For additional information on GRRO and its mission, please visit www.grronc.org.

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

Think Community

Town Talk 10/22/20: ‘Think Community’ Domestic Violence Awareness Event This Weekend

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Debbie K. Scott, domestic violence coordinator/gang resource specialist with the Vance County Sheriff’s Office, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Thursday at 11 a.m.

Scott announced that the Vance County Sheriff’s Office and Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame, in collaboration with Dr. Abidan Shah, pastor of Clearview Church, will host the 2nd Annual Domestic Violence Awareness Event on Saturday, October 24, 2020. The event will begin at 3 p.m. at Clearview Church located at 3485 US Hwy 158 in Henderson.

For social distancing purposes, activities will be held in the church parking lot. Face masks are required.

This year’s theme – “Think Community” – was designed to promote community support and resource availability.

“The goal is to educate and raise awareness of the effects of domestic violence here in our community,” said Scott. “The goal is also to support the victims and survivors of domestic violence and to provide them with information on available resources.”

The keynote speaker will be Winston-Salem Chief of Police Catrina Thompson. Thompson, a native of Detroit, MI, is the fifteenth Chief of Police for the city of Winston-Salem. She graduated from Wayne State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice and earned a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Appalachian State University.

During her twenty-six years with the Winston-Salem Police Department, Thompson has served as the assistant chief in charge of the Investigative Services Bureau, which is the command bureau over detectives and school resource officers.

As chief, she leads a department with 570 sworn officers, 173 civilian positions and an annual budget of $74.5 million.

“She can come with a voice and help us,” Scott said. “What’s most important is that she’s a survivor; she was a victim, so she has a powerful story to share with us.”

In addition to Thompson’s address, the Clearview Praise Team will perform music with a special guest performance by Minister Roy Burroughs & Work In Progress. Valerie L. Williams, founder and CEO of Lovesmart, Inc., will serve as honorary guest.

Refreshments will be served courtesy of Clearview Church.

Sponsors for the event are Clearview Church, the Optimist Club of Henderson and Betty B’s Florist.

For more information, contact Scott at (252) 738-2235 or by email at dscott@vancecounty.org.

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

Vance County Schools Logo

Town Talk 10/21/20: Vance Co. Schools Launches ‘Attendance Matters’ Campaign

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

Four members of Vance County Schools’ Behavioral Health Team appeared on WIZS Town Talk Wednesday at 11 a.m.

Toni Fletcher, lead of the School Student Behavioral Health Team and Lead Social Worker, began the segment by announcing that VCS is kicking off its ‘Attendance Matters’ campaign with the slogan ‘In School, Logged In, Every Day.’

With the Vance County Board of Education’s recent vote to extend fully remote learning through December, Fletcher explained the importance of offering continued support during this unprecedented time in education.

“It is very important to us that we make the connections with our children and our families,” said Fletcher. “This is something we’ve never done before – teaching this way.”

Counselor Erica Wright, with the Student Behavioral Health Team, said VCS will recognize students for their hard work on billboards throughout the community, through local news and media sources and with school incentives as a way to encourage good attendance practices.

School Safety/District Hearing Officer Dr. Ralph Holloman said, “The National Dropout Prevention Center has recorded that family engagement is the number one key for attendance, and we want to send that message to parents. Keep on encouraging your child to participate, log in and be in school every day.”

Thanking parents for all they have done to keep their child engaged while also balancing work, family and other responsibilities, Holloman said, “Parents, your continued involvement is the key to our children’s success in Vance County schools.”

To address mental well-being, Dr. Latoria Fleming, counselor for the Student Behavioral Health Team, said school counselors and social workers are remotely available to provide social and emotional support.

“Please reach out to school support staff if you know of a student that’s struggling,” said Fleming. “Those staff members can provide short-term counseling or, if necessary, connect you with community resources or mental health agencies.”

While support is the key to continued motivation, Fletcher said completing remote schoolwork is difficult without reliable internet access. “Some of our families live rurally and don’t have access to the internet, and some are unable to afford access due to financial barriers.”

To combat this problem, VCS has placed WiFi rangers in fire departments, daycare centers, churches, apartment complexes and in some homes with five or more children throughout the county.

In addition, Fletcher said Kajeets, portable devices approximately the size of a cell phone, have been placed in over 150 homes to provide internet capabilities.

For those in need of technology assistance, Fletcher reminded listeners that a technology help desk with tech support is available to parents and students Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. To find the help desk phone number for your child’s school, please visit the VCS District website (click here).

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