Tag Archive for: #towntalk

Town Talk 10/23/19: Local Participants Needed for UNC-Sponsored Well Survey

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100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

Dr. Frank Stillo, research manager for the MacDonald Gibson Research Group at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health, and Drew Griggs, a junior chemistry major at UNC, were on Wednesday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk to invite local residents to participate in a private well survey.

Stillo, who recently received his Ph.D. in public health from UNC, has been studying disparities in drinking water since early 2014.

He is particularly interested in how lead exposure involving residents with private wells affects children under the age of 7 in predominantly African-American communities. Lead is a neurotoxin, and young children are especially sensitive to the damage overexposure can cause to their still-developing brains, Stillo explained.

Griggs, son of Greg and Melanie Griggs of Henderson, attended a lead exposure seminar this summer held by the Gibson Research Group and said he was motivated to apply for a position as part of Stillo’s survey team.

The study group is seeking 300 households who use private well water and have a child under the age of seven living in the home.

Participants will receive the benefit of a well water test, dust testing, lead blood testing for their child provided by a licensed UNC phlebotomist, a consultation on ways to mediate lead issues if discovered and a $75 cash gift card – all free of charge.

In a small Wake County study of 29 cohorts completed a few years back, Stillo said a research team found that 28% of participating households with a well had elevated levels of lead in their drinking water. In running a variety of tests, Stillo said the team concluded that the majority of lead issues arose from plumbing structures inside the home.

“When you have water that is stagnant in your plumbing system and it doesn’t have a chance to get treated like those on the public water system, it will leach the lead out of the different metals in your system. When I had the same problem, I reached out to 24 Hour Emergency Plumbing Services near me and asked them to fix the plumbing,” said Stillo.

Factors such as the age of the house, age of plumbing materials and components of piping and connectors, also affect the level of lead exposure.

“Another reason well water has higher levels of lead is that residents with wells are stewards of their own water systems, whereas people on the public system have someone with technical expertise looking after their best interests,” Stillo said. “People on a public system are constantly having their water tested. Many on private wells don’t know to test their well water or what to test for and often don’t understand the effects of contaminants.”

Griggs said he is excited to be a part of this drinking water survey that can bring awareness to his hometown and took the first step in informing the community by reaching out to WIZS for an on-air interview.

“There are a lot of different ways to serve people; I’m really fortunate to have found an outlet to do so at UNC, especially one that can help a small, underserved community like Henderson.”

To learn more about the survey, please visit https://gillingswellwater.web.unc.edu/, email gillingswellwater@unc.edu or call (919) 843-5786.

To hear the interview with Stillo and Griggs in its entirety, please click the play button below. Listen live to WIZS’ Town Talk Monday-Friday at 11 a.m. on 1450AM, 100.1 FM or online at www.wizs.com.

Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Town Talk 10/22/19: Hicks Teaches Students to Use ‘I Power’ to Combat Bullying

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100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

Teresa Hicks, counselor at Carver Elementary School, was on Tuesday’s edition of Town Talk to continue WIZS’ weekly series in recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. WIZS has featured local organizations involved in various aspects of domestic violence each Tuesday in October.

The focus of this week’s segment was on younger victims of domestic violence – elementary school children – and how exposure to violent situations increases the risks of bullying.

To combat bullying and to work on students’ self-esteem, Hicks developed a strategy she coined “I Power.” “I Power is a way to make a situation that could be negative, better,” Hicks explained. “It gives students a voice and allows them to advocate for themselves. I tell them to speak up and practice using your voice.”

The key is for students to become comfortable expressing their opinions and feelings in a respectful manner. Hicks said, “This can be as simple as saying ‘I like strawberry ice cream’ when someone else says they don’t like strawberry ice cream.”

Expressing their opinions on seemingly simple matters can give students the confidence needed to stand up for themselves in more serious situations, according to Hicks.

Hicks said she tells her K-5 students, who are often interested in superheroes, that “you can be a superhero too; use your own I Power.”

To hear the interview with Hicks in its entirety, please click the play button below. Listen live to WIZS’ Town Talk Monday-Friday at 11 a.m. on 1450AM, 100.1 FM or online at www.wizs.com.

Town Talk 10/21/19

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100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

Town Talk 10/18/19

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100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

Town Talk 10/17/19: All About This Weekend’s Show, Shine, Shag & Dine

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100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

Today’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk was all about the 18th Annual Show, Shine, Shag & Dine being held Friday, October 18 and Saturday, October 19 in Historic Downtown Henderson.

Featuring 1988 and older antique cars, classic cars, nostalgia drag cars, muscle cars, street rods, rat rods and trucks over a ten-block area of Garnett Street, the show grows in popularity each year, bringing thousands of visitors – and tourism dollars – to the downtown area.

Weekend festivities also include car judging, live entertainment, specials offered by downtown merchants, food vendors, miscellaneous vendors and much more.

Garnett Street will be closed from Young Avenue to Andrews Avenue, including all side streets, beginning at 5 a.m. on Saturday.

2019 Show, Shine, Shag & Dine Schedule:

Friday, October 18

11 a.m. – 4 p.m. ~ Pre-show Cruise-in and BBQ cookout for $12 per plate. Meal served 12 – 2:30 p.m. Open to all makes and models 1988 and older and all spectators. Location: Satterwhite Point Park, Kerr Lake, I-85 – Exit 217.

5 – 9 p.m. ~ Southern Classic Cruise-in will be held at 117 Horner Street in downtown Henderson. A DJ will be spinning your favorite tunes from the past and Chick-fil-A will be on site. Cruise-in parking will be located in the 700 block of S. Garnett St. Head over to Citizen’s Grill & Pub located at 200 S. Garnett Street to hear the “Brake Tyme Band” perform from 6 to 10 p.m.

Saturday, October 19

7:30 – 11 a.m. ~ Car registration – enter from W. Winder Street. Open to all makes and models 1988 and older. Antique cars, classic cars, nostalgia drag cars, muscle cars, street rods, rat rods and trucks.

7:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. ~ MAIN EVENT – 18th Annual Show, Shine, Shag & Dine Car Show and East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame. Live entertainment, kids’ entertainment, DJ, food, vendors, judging and award presentations on Garnett St. in downtown Henderson.

3 – 6 p.m. ~ The Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce and presenting sponsor Charles Boyd Chevrolet, Buick, GMC invite you to “The After Party” following the classic car show on Saturday. The party will be held at the corner of Breckenridge and Garnett St. “The Konnection Band” will keep the festivities going with a variety of music including Top 40, Rock, Country, R & B, Beach and Oldies.

The Corbitt Preservation Association will also host their annual Corbitt Truck Show and Reunion on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. near the downtown fire station.

“Our club-owned, newly restored and driveable 1926 Corbitt Fire Truck with a restored crank siren will be a showpiece in front of the state’s oldest working fire station,” said board member Tom Burleson. “We are expecting to have 18 vehicles including trucks, a couple of rare tractors and our newest find – the body of a Corbitt automobile.”

One of only approximately 100 Corbitt-made automobiles manufactured from 1905 to 1912, Burleson said the “one-of-a-kind discovery goes toward our circle of finding products that this company made so many years ago right in downtown Henderson.”

Additionally, the Corbitt Museum will be open to visitors on Saturday. The museum is located at 180 Church Street in Henderson.

Show, Shine, Shag & Dine is hosted and sponsored by the Vance County Tourism Department. For more information, please visit www.kerrlake-nc.com or call 1-866-438-4565.

To hear the interview with Burleson and the Vance Co. Tourism Department in its entirety, please click the play button below. Listen live to WIZS’ Town Talk Monday-Friday at 11 a.m. on 1450AM, 100.1 FM or online at www.wizs.com.

Town Talk 10/16/19: Aarika Sandlin, VCS’ New Public Information Officer, On-Air

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100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

Aarika Sandlin, public information officer (PIO) for Vance County Schools, was on Wednesday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk to discuss both her new role and the future of the local public school system.

Sandlin, who received her undergraduate degree from Mars Hill University and graduate degree from East Tennessee State University, believes her studies in journalism, corporate communications, public relations and education, along with her 16 years of work experience in education, will serve her well in her new position.

Pictured: Aarika Sandlin, public information officer (PIO) for Vance County Schools.

Of her time in the education field, Sandlin spent 11 years as a classroom teacher and five years as a high school test coordinator.

Taking the reins from long-serving VCS PIO Terri Hedrick, who retired in July with 21-years in the school system, Sandlin said one of her first tasks is to determine what has been working and what may need to be tweaked moving forward.

“We are looking at ways things have been, deciding what went well and then looking at things that we need to take down a different path,” said Sandlin.

One area of focus, according to Sandlin, includes getting more parents on-board with social media channels as a means of conveying information in a fast, effective manner.

In addition to Vance County Schools’ website and social media outlets, Sandlin explained that each school now has its own social media account that is managed by the principal or the principal’s designee.

It is beneficial for parents to follow both their child’s individual school account and Vance County Schools’ accounts to ensure updated information, said Sandlin.

Sandlin’s primary job is to “make sure the community, the parents, the staff and the teachers are aware of what’s going on in Vance County Schools, sharing the positive things and showcasing our students for the great things they are doing.”

To accomplish this, Sandlin must be on-the-go frequently. “I’m in my office very little,” she said with a laugh. “I’m in the schools. I’m meeting with community members and organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce to share what’s going on and to get them to partner with us.”

To hear the interview with Sandlin in its entirety, please click the play button below. Listen live to WIZS’ Town Talk Monday-Friday at 11 a.m. on 1450AM, 100.1 FM or online at www.wizs.com.

Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Town Talk 10/15/19: Youth Outreach Programs Aim to Prevent Violent Situations

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100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

Tara Goolsby, facilities supervisor, and Shantel Hargrove, youth services outreach administrator, with the Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Department were the guests of honor on Tuesday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk.

In recognition of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, WIZS continues to feature local organizations each Tuesday for on-air discussions of this prevalent type of abuse that affects all genders, races, religions and socioeconomic classes.

This week’s segment focused on the prevention of domestic violence situations through youth outreach and how to find the best criminal lawyers in Atlanta to help you sue your offender quickly to avoid more issues.

Goolsby and Hargrove discussed the various youth services offered by the H-V Rec. Department, including Teen Court for older youth, and Project Youth Outreach for elementary and middle school children.

Teen Court is a program for first-time offenders – typically between the ages of 11-17 – run by teenagers who serve as the defense, prosecution, jury and bailiff. Licensed judges and lawyers preside over the cases.

Teens are sent to the court, with a professional criminal defense lawyer assigned to each case, for offenses such as fighting at school and will maintain a clean record if sanctions imposed by the court, such as community service, are completed.

Teen Court meets the first and third Tuesday of the month at the Vance County Courthouse.

Project Youth Outreach is an in-school program offered to fourth and fifth-grade students at L.B. Yancey Elementary, Carver Elementary and E.O. Young Elementary School. Services are also offered to sixth and seventh-grade students at Vance County Middle School. An eighth-grade after school program is also in the works.

Representatives meet with students once a week during their special electives time to work on areas such as self-confidence, good hygiene, bullying and character-building.

These outreach programs aim, in part, to prevent youth from becoming either a victim or a perpetrator of domestic violence.

To hear the interview in its entirety, including more information on upcoming events for youth, please click the play button below. Listen live to WIZS’ Town Talk Monday-Friday at 11 a.m. on 1450AM, 100.1 FM or online at www.wizs.com.

Town Talk 10/14/19: Local Airport’s Military Show Kicks Off Veterans Day Observances

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100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

Lyn Breisacher, with the Veterans’ Affairs Committee of Granville County, was on Monday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk to discuss the 4th Annual Military History Show to be held Saturday, October 26, 2019, at the Henderson-Oxford Airport.

The airport is located at 6514 Airport Road in Oxford, NC.

The event, to be held from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., will feature various military displays including uniforms, equipment, weapons, vehicles and many other military historical articles. Admission is free and open to the general public.

Started in 2016 by World War II buff and war reenactor Harry Coombs, the show continues to gain popularity every year.

“The excitement keeps growing; we’ve seen more this year as people are becoming more aware of it,” said Breisacher.

All proceeds from the event benefit the Granville County Veterans’ Affairs Committee. “Harry very graciously gives proceeds from the show to the committee to help with the need of veterans throughout our area,” Breisacher said.

The show kicks off the beginning of Veterans Day celebrations and remembrances in Granville County, culminating in Veterans Day, officially observed this year on Monday, November 11.

Vendor spaces are available and donations are accepted. For more information, please contact Coombs at (919) 691-7697 or email harry4th@centurylink.net.

 

To hear the Town Talk interview in its entirety, please click the play button below. Listen live to WIZS’ Town Talk Monday-Friday at 11 a.m. on 1450AM, 100.1 FM or online at www.wizs.com.

 

Town Talk 10/11/19

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100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

Henderson Fire Dept

Town Talk 10/10/19: HFD’s Fire Prevention Day to Feature Smoke House, Free Food

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100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

Captain Lee Edmonds with the Henderson Fire Department was on Thursday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk program to discuss the upcoming Fire Prevention Day to be held this Saturday, October 12, 2019.

This free event will be held on Breckenridge Street between the Henderson Police Department and the Perry Memorial Library in downtown Henderson from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Activities include fire truck demonstrations, a smoke safety house, games for kids, fire safety information and a cooking fire demonstration.

Free pizza, hotdogs and refreshments will be served; everyone is invited.

“This is similar to the annual Night Out Against Crime event with more of a focus on fire-related issues,” explained Edmonds. “We want to promote fire safety to both children and adults, present ways to prevent fires in your home and demonstrate how to avoid injury if there is a fire.”

Edmonds said the smoke safety house will help children learn how to properly escape a home if a fire breaks out.

Fire department staff will also demonstrate the proper, and improper, way to put out a cooking fire involving grease. “We will demonstrate what happens when you throw water on a grease fire; it’s a big no-no,” Edmonds said. “Those two do not mix.”

The event coincides with National Fire Prevention Week that runs October 6 through October 12. This year’s National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) theme is: “Not every hero wears a cape – plan and practice your escape.”

To hear Edmond’s Town Talk interview in its entirety, including additional fire safety tips, please click the play button below. Listen live to WIZS’ Town Talk Monday-Friday at 11 a.m. on 1450AM, 100.1 FM or online at www.wizs.com.