Town Talk 04/23/20: Callers Discuss COVID-19
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TownTalk 04/22/20: Pearson Discusses Challenging Times, Community Excellence
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Dr. Stephen Pearson, co-owner and operator of Sadie’s Coffee Corner in downtown Henderson, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Wednesday at 11 a.m.
Pearson, who holds a Doctorate in Business Administration with a specialization in global business organization leadership, addressed the importance of striving for community excellence and discussed business survival in challenging times.
With last week’s opening of the drive-thru portion of the new Starbucks on Dabney Drive, less than a year since Sadie’s fall opening and in the middle of a national shutdown, Pearson and wife Amanda know a thing or two about facing competition.
“Competition makes the entrepreneur reevaluate and come out of some of the complacency that they run into,” Pearson said. “There are ultimately two ways to approach the situation – sit on your hands and say ‘woe is me’ or find a way to move forward.”
Pearson said Sadie’s supportive customers and community partners, combined with his belief that downtown is the “epicenter of the growth in Henderson,” will help ensure the coffee shop’s continued success.
In fact, the Pearsons believe so strongly in the potential of the area that they are investing more money into a downtown location, with completion expected in the next 18 months.
While additional details will be revealed at a later date, Pearson said he could share with the public that the new downtown venture will be “a business incubator, a business accelerator and will include a classical pizza, cheese and wine tasting shop.”
Pearson said he believes these business ventures are adding to the excellence being built in Henderson. “We can build excellence in this community. This is a vibrant, intelligent community with a lot of impassioned people. I’m very excited to be a part of what I see to be a growth spurt in Henderson.”
“People love to build excellence in the past. If you talk to people about Henderson, they’ll say what a bustling, great town this was 20 years ago, 30 years ago,” continued Pearson. “We have to build excellence in the future, but we build excellence by being brilliant in the basics. We have to understand business, we have to understand the economy and we have to understand the needs of the community.”
To hear the interview with Pearson in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.
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TownTalk 04/21/20: Registration Open for VGCC’s Fully Online Summer Semester
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Kali Brown, dean of Student Access and Support at Vance-Granville Community College, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Tuesday at 11 a.m.
Frequently known as the curriculum side of the house, Brown oversees an area that includes Admissions, Career Services, Financial Aid and the Registrar’s Office.
Brown said the main focus of the Student Access and Support Division is connecting students to the college experience. “We help them gain access, whether they want to complete a short-term degree, such as a certificate or a diploma, or they are interested in pursuing an associate degree leading to workforce opportunities or college transfer.”
With over 40 degree, diploma, and certificate programs, Brown said VGCC offers something for everyone. “There are so many opportunities for students. Within a year to a year-and-a-half, a student can complete a credential, move into the workforce and start earning a livable wage.”
While VGCC’s current spring semester wraps up on May 11, registration is open and ongoing for the summer semester, which begins May 16, and the fall semester, which begins August 17. For a list of available classes, please visit the “Class Schedules” section of VGCC’s website or click here.
Following adjustments made in the middle of the spring semester due to the COVID-19 pandemic and state-wide stay-at-home orders, VGCC will offer summer classes in an entirely online format for both current and new students.
Classes typically taught in the summer semester that are unable to be offered online will potentially be offered this fall, depending on the situation, stated Brown.
“Summer is a great opportunity for students to get started, and it’s a great opportunity to take a general education class that they need for their program of study,” Brown said.
Many of VGCC’s curriculum admission processes, including the admission application, Financial Aid application and scholarship application, can be completed online.
While applying online is part of the standard admissions process, Brown said changes have been made to placement testing requirements as a result of stay-at-home orders. Testing requirements have been temporarily waived, with students now required to provide their high school transcript for placement purposes.
For more information on VGCC’s programs, semester dates, class schedules and registration information, please visit www.vgcc.edu.
To hear the interview with Brown in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.
Also appearing on TownTalk Tuesday was Hal Muetzel, local owner-operator of Express Employment Professionals.
TownTalk 04/20/20: Local Calls; Stimulus Checks; Facebook; Keep Up Good Spirits
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Had a lot of fun on TownTalk Monday taking calls, talking about stimulus checks, Facebook and keeping up good spirits.
WIZS Radio broadcasts Town Talk, a locally produced public affairs program, including local phone calls, each Monday through Thursday, except holidays, from 11 a.m. until 11:29 a.m. Town Talk is hosted regularly by John Charles Rose.
TownTalk on Friday is a quiz show, game show, trivia show and contest for prizes from 11 a.m. until 11:55 a.m.
Town Talk 04/16/20: Tribute to Lt. Walter Fuller, Jr., Fire & COVID-19 Fighter
THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY
Debbie Scott, niece of Lt. Walter Fuller, Jr., the first person to die in Vance County from complications of COVID-19, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Thursday at 11 a.m.
Scott contacted WIZS directly to pay tribute to her uncle, who passed away on Easter morning, Sunday, April 12, 2020, at the age of 72, following a confirmed positive case of the virus.
Fuller was well-known and respected in the community as a former Henderson Fire Department (HFD) lieutenant who retired with over 28 years of service in 2000, said Scott, and served as a “father-figure” to many, herself included.
Long-serving Henderson firefighter Lt. Walter Fuller, Jr., passed away on Easter morning, Sunday, April 12, 2020, at the age of 72, due to complications of COVID-19. (Photo courtesy the family of Fuller).
“Most people would know him as Lt. Walter Fuller, Jr., but we knew him in the family as Uncle Peewee,” Scott said. “That was his nickname because he only weighed three pounds when he was born.”
Prior to his decades-long service with the HFD, Fuller served as a firefighter for two years in Philadelphia before returning home to Henderson.
According to Scott, Fuller was also a professional photographer who captured joyful moments for his family and community members at weddings and other special occasions.
“He was a good person who went about doing good deeds; his profession was saving lives. He was a father, grandfather and great grandfather, and he was a wonderful uncle,” Scott said. “He was brave; he was the rock of our family and our hero. We looked up to him.”
While Scott would prefer Fuller to be remembered for his service to the community as opposed to his distinction as the first Vance County death due to COVID-19, she also warned listeners of the dangers of the virus.
“This virus is very serious and dangerous. I think we should do everything we can to follow protocol at this time. The way you have to deal with this is painful – you can’t see your loved one, talk to them or even be in the same building with them. No one wants to experience this.”
Scott said the healthcare workers at Maria Parham Health, Fuller’s ICU nurse, in particular, were instrumental in providing comfort during an emotional time for the family.
“We called his nurse for two days, and she was so wonderful. She gave him messages for us. We wanted him to know we loved him; he couldn’t talk. I called her back yesterday to thank her for what she did.”
In a touching surprise to Scott, WIZS reached out to Henderson Fire Chief Steve Cordell and former chief Danny Wilkerson, both who worked with Fuller for years, for comment.
Chief Cordell had this to say about Fuller, “He was a good, Christian man. When I came to work at the fire department in 1992, Lt. Fuller was a fire engineer, and I worked under him for my first six months. Lt. Fuller took me under his wing and taught me the ropes. I will always appreciate the effort he put into me as a young, 20-year-old coming in the door.”
Cordell continued, “I was able to see Lt. Fuller go from fire engineer to fire lieutenant over fire prevention, and he excelled in that position; he made a tremendous impact on young kids. He was able to take the enthusiasm that he brought every day to the job and use that to educate young kids and adults on fire safety.”
Wilkerson said, “He was a great person and a very good firefighter. He was at the fire department a few years before I started in 1975. Being a new firefighter, he gave me a lot of guidance, and I really took that to heart. He is also one of the first African-American firefighters that the Henderson Fire Department had.”
“The one thing Walter did that really stood out to me,” Wilkerson added with a chuckle, “was that he was all for enforcing the City’s fire lane and handicapped parking. I believe he wrote more fire lane and handicap parking violations than any firefighter or police officer at the time.”
Wilkerson’s final thoughts on Fuller echoed Scott’s sentiments expressed during the interview, “The thing that I always respected about Walter is that he put God first, then his family and then his fire department family, and he would tell you that is how your priorities in life should be.”
To hear the interview with Scott in its entirety, including comments from Cordell and Wilkerson, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.
Town Talk 04/15/20: Treasurer Folwell Discusses State Pension Plan, COVID-19 Recovery
THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY
North Carolina State Treasurer Dale R. Folwell, CPA, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Wednesday at 11 a.m.
Folwell, who has served as NC State Treasurer since 2017, is recovering after being hospitalized for five days with COVID-19. “I am thankful for all the caregivers, God, my family, and the prayers and thoughts that got me through this,” Folwell said.
He also expressed appreciation for the healthcare workers who encouraged him through the recovery process. Folwell said doctors and nurses offered emotional support while he was separated from his family due to the strict no visitor policies currently implemented at many hospitals.
Cleared by doctors and health officials to resume his duties, Folwell reassured listeners that the state pension plan is “one of the most conservatively managed in the country, if not the world.”
“Last time we talked [WIZS Town Talk January 23, 2020], we were reassuring people that we were still in the check delivering business, and that’s still the case,” stated Folwell. “Obviously, we’ve had a lot of market volatility since then, but our state pension plan is in great shape, and we continue to be in the check delivering business.”
As of earlier this week, the state pension plan was down approximately 4.2% for the calendar year, while the S&P 500 was down by almost 14%. For the fiscal year that began June 2019, the state plan is up .6%, while the S&P is down approximately 5%. While down, Folwell said he is encouraged by the fact that the state plan is still currently outperforming the stock market.
To help offset some of the losses, Folwell said the state is “looking at some of our cash balances and taking advantage of some of the opportunities being presented to us. Those who depend on this – those that teach, those that protect and those who otherwise serve – will not have to think about this.”
Calling the current economic downturn a “combination of 9/11 and the Great Recession, all combined into one,” Folwell admitted, “Revenues are down, expenses are up, collections are down, and it’s just not a good circumstance for any business.”
Following today’s interview with WIZS, Folwell addressed the current state of the pension plan, among other treasury-related topics, in a monthly “Ask Me Anything” session open to media representatives.
The monthly calls are an opportunity for reporters to ask Folwell questions about N.C. Department of State Treasurer (DST) initiatives, including the Retirement Systems Division, the State Health Plan, the State and Local Government Finance Division and the Unclaimed Property Division.
Audio of the monthly “Ask Me Anything” calls is available by clicking here.
To hear the interview with Folwell in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.
Town Talk 04/14/20: MPH CEO Discusses COVID-19 Testing, Lower Hospital Volume
THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY
Bert Beard, CEO of Maria Parham Health (MPH), appeared on WIZS Town Talk Tuesday at 11 a.m.
Beard reported that MPH has tested 150 people for possible COVID-19 infection at this point, with 14 positive cases. Of those positive cases, Beard said a “handful” have been admitted for treatment.
“Anyone who is a rule out is treated like someone who is positive for it until we get a negative test,” said Beard. “Our ability to test and get quick results has improved vastly since the start of this six weeks ago.”
According to Beard, a new partnership with Mako Medical Laboratories, along with recently approved testing, has reduced turnaround time for results from several days to approximately 24-hours.
While Beard said MPH and its staff are well-prepared to handle a possible increase in patients, the hospital is currently experiencing a lull in numbers. “We are seeing a lot less volume currently at the hospital. I think people are rightfully concerned and aren’t coming in if they don’t have to.”
With Granville Vance Public Health announcing the first COVID-19 death in Vance County – a 72-year-old male with pre-existing health conditions who died Sunday – Beard said he couldn’t stress enough the importance of continuing to take safety precautions.
“Continue to observe stay at home orders from the governor and the president. Continue to observe good infection prevention practices – handwashing hygiene, no touching your face and social distancing. Be mindful of your interactions when you have to go out.”
To do its part in mitigating the spread of the virus, Beard said the hospital enacted a zero visitor policy with a few exceptions: pediatrics, end-of-life care and mother/baby.
Visitors and MPH employees are also currently required to enter the hospital through either the main or emergency entrance, where their temperature is checked with an infrared thermometer. Visitors are also given a cloth mask – many donated by members of the community – to help stop the spread of infection.
“I am hopeful that on the back-end of this, people will have, not a new-found, but re-found respect for our first responders and frontline healthcare workers,” Beard said. “It is wonderful to see the outpouring of support and love for these people; I hope that element is held in the wake of this event.”
To hear the interview with Beard in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.
Town Talk 04/08/20: Community Call-In, Local Support in Face of COVID-19
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Town Talk 04/07/20: Edmonds, VGCC Focus on ‘Hire Education’
THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY
Jerry E. Edmonds, III, vice president of Workforce Development and Community Engagement at Vance-Granville Community College, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Tuesday at 11 a.m.
Serving in this new position since the fall, Edmonds supports economic development for the region and oversees training programs that respond to community needs and prepare students for workforce success.
In addition, Edmonds leads the development of VGCC partnerships with businesses and government agencies and coordinates outreach and marketing.
“The position of workforce and community engagement is a relatively new combination of functions,” Edmonds said. “Our president, Dr. Rachel Desmarais, was certainly futuristic in her assessment that community engagement would be more and more a part of our community college function.”
Workforce development is what has been traditionally referred to as continuing education, Edmonds explained, and includes public safety, short term healthcare courses such as CNA and phlebotomy, and the college’s new truck driver training, among other programs.
The VGCC Small Business Center also falls under the Workforce and Community Engagement umbrella and has become more visible to the public and business community in recent weeks with the economic repercussions of COVID-19 closures.
Sheri Jones, director of the Small Business Center, appeared on WIZS Town Talk last week to discuss her work with local businesses during the health crisis, which has included assistance with small business loan information.
Along with the Small Business Center, VGCC offers customized training programs specific to the local area. Edmonds admitted that not everyone in the community has been aware of these services in the past, a task that he sees as part of his and his team’s role in marketing the college.
“Marketing is an area that we really have to do a little better job as a community college system in getting the word out about the great programs and great work that we do on a daily basis,” Edmonds stated.
Echoing a sentiment shared by Desmarais in previous WIZS interviews, Edmonds said the system is doing just that by focusing on workforce development with individual community colleges training residents for local employment opportunities.
“The NC Community College System has recently embarked upon a marketing campaign with the tagline that North Carolina community colleges are all about ‘Hire Education’ to use a play-on-words’ of ‘higher education,’” said Edmonds. “At the end of the day, all of our programs, be they on the continuing education side or be they on the curriculum side, seek to give students a living wage employment.”
To hear the interview with Edmonds in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.
Town Talk 04/06/20: NC811 Director Reminds Public to ‘Call Before You Dig’
THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY
Louis Panzer, executive director of North Carolina 811, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Monday at 11 a.m.
Known for its “Call Before You Dig” slogan, NC811 has provided the public with a communications link between local utility providers since 1978.
With April being recognized as Safe Digging Month, Panzer said now is the perfect time to discuss the legal requirement of having utilities marked before digging.
Panzer explained that NC law requires anyone engaging in excavation or demolition activities to contact NC811 at least three working days prior to starting the work. NC811 will then notify the member facility owners within your area of excavation or demolition requests.
The member facility owner then has three working days to provide a response and to mark any underground facilities that may be in conflict with the work area. Only publicly owned lines will be marked by the facility owner; private lines will not be indicated.
NC811 services are provided to residents free of charge and are designed to protect both the safety of those digging as well as the integrity of the telecommunication and utility networks underground.
“So many people rely on services that we sometimes take for granted,” said Panzer. “Telecommunication has increasingly become important, especially during this time where more people are working from home. People are sheltered in place and their children are at home being educated online.”
With an average of five conflicting utilities around your home or business, Panzer said it is better to contact NC811 and ask questions before engaging in even commonplace outdoor projects such as gardening or planting shrubbery.
Steps in the 811 utility location process include:
- Call 811. Before calling, have information ready such as your address, property specifics, the area you wish to have located, any special considerations, etc. For a full listing of the required information, click here.
- Wait the required time. NC law requires that a three working day notice be given to the utility owners before you dig. Member facilities have three full working days, beginning the first working day after the notice is given, to mark the area requested for underground utilities or to notify the excavator of no conflict in the area.
- Check Positive Response. Positive Response is both a by-phone and online means for the utility members of NC811 to provide information regarding the status of your location request. Click here for more information.
- Respect the marks. The underground facilities located on your property will be identified by color-coded paint, stakes or flags and should not be disturbed.
- Dig with care. If damage occurs, notify the facility owner directly. You can also dial 811 to report damage to underground facilities. In the event of a gas release, remove yourself from the area immediately and call 911 to report.
For more information on NC811, call by simply dialing 8-1-1, download the 811 app or visit www.nc811.org.
To hear the interview with Panzer in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.