Tag Archive for: #vancecountynews

Aycock Rec. Center to Host First Aqua Egg Hunt

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

-Information courtesy Tara Goolsby, Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Program Superintendent, Aycock Recreation Center

The Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Department announces its first annual Aqua Egg Hunt to be held at the Aycock Recreation Center pool on Monday, April 6, 2020. Activities are planned from 5:30 until 8 p.m.

The pool egg hunt is open to all kids ages 17 and younger. All swim levels are welcome; life vests are provided if needed. Parents are required to be in the pool area. Please bring your own container to collect eggs. Eggs will be traded in for prize bags at the end of the hunt.

Schedule of Events:

5:30 – 6 p.m. – Check-In

6 p.m. – Egg hunt begins

7 – 8 p.m. – Crafts, prizes and temporary tattoos in the lobby

Registration and a $5 participation fee are due by March 30, 2020. For more information, contact Lauren Newlin, Aquatics Program Supervisor at lnewlin@ci.henderson.nc.us or (252) 438-3160.

Granville Vance Public Health Logo

Town Talk 03/04/20: Harrison, G-V Public Health Director, Discusses Coronavirus

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

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

In light of recent news that North Carolina’s first case of confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) was reported in nearby Wake County, Harrison addressed the local health department’s response to the disease.

“Viruses change over time, and this is an emerging situation,” explained Harrison. “We at Granville-Vance Public Health are paying close attention daily to information that comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Division of Public Health, the State Health Director and our whole epidemiology team who are very involved right now with our response in the United States and in North Carolina.”

According to the CDC, coronavirus, much like a cold or the flu, can spread between people who are in close contact with one another and through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Those suffering from the virus are thought to be at least mildly contagious before showing symptoms but are more likely to infect others when they are the most symptomatic.

Reported illnesses have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death for confirmed cases. Symptoms, including fever, cough and shortness of breath, may appear 2-14 days after initial exposure.

The CDC recommends contacting a healthcare provider if you develop a fever and symptoms of respiratory illness and have been in close contact with a person known to have COVID-19 or if you have recently traveled to an area with an ongoing spread such as China, Iran, Italy, Japan or South Korea. Your healthcare provider will work with the public health department and CDC to determine if you need to be tested for COVID-19.

While not a time to panic, Harrison said it is important that residents seek credible sources for COVID-19 updates and take precautions to avoid exposure including:

  • Wash hands frequently with soap and water (at least 20 seconds each time)
  • Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed or washed hands
  • Avoid close contact with anyone who is sick
  • Cover mouth and nose with a tissue or bend of the arm when sneezing or coughing
  • Clean and disinfect surfaces that are frequently touched

“I have a tremendous amount of confidence in the knowledge of your public health service,” Harrison said. “The most important thing to stress to individuals and families in Vance and Granville County is that everyone needs to continue to take precautions to protect themselves from the spread of any respiratory illness, including the flu and colds.”

A toll-free helpline has been established for those with questions about COVID-19 and can be reached by calling 1-866-462-3821.

You may also find additional information by visiting the Granville-Vance Public Health website at www.gvph.org and the CDC website at www.cdc.gov.

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

VGCC Students Find New Support System Through Men’s Academy

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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

A unique, new program at Vance-Granville Community College is providing support, as well as new leadership opportunities, to male students.

The “Men’s Achievement Academy” began with an induction ceremony in October of 2019. Its stated mission is “to provide intentional support to male students that will empower them to accomplish their academic and career goals.” Any male student can join the academy, which boasts about 30 members currently.

VGCC student and Men’s Achievement Academy member Ronnie Brodie (pictured above) presents information on the Civil Rights Movement. (VGCC photo)

At the core of the program is mentoring, according to Jeffrey Allen, the college’s Dean of Student Retention & Success and an advisor for the program (alongside Marque Debnam, who heads the Paralegal Technology at VGCC’s Franklin Campus).

“Our students’ mentors are members of our faculty and staff who volunteer their time,” Allen explained. “We provide training to the mentors, and we expect each mentor and ‘mentee’ to meet at least once a month face-to-face. Some choose to meet more often. In between, they communicate regularly via email or text.”

The academy also meets as a group monthly. “We base the topics for the meetings on what these students are interested in,” Allen said. Some meetings have discussed networking, careers, and health.

Recently, the academy was in the spotlight after Allen and other staff talked to mentees about the college’s annual celebration of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. “We explained to them that traditionally, this had often been more of a community event than a student activity,” Allen recalled. “We said, if we want our students to come, then we should have the students plan it.”

That’s exactly what the Men’s Achievement Academy did. Two students in the program co-chaired the committee for the Martin Luther King event: Osvaldo Martinez of Granville County, a student in the Radiography program; and Nicholas Addesso of Franklin County, a student in the Associate in Arts (College Transfer) program.

“What they came up with blew my mind,” said Allen. “They took a whole different direction than I imagined. They wanted to teach people about the life and legacy of Dr. King themselves.”

The mentees developed posters about Dr. King and used those posters as teaching tools, which were presented to visitors during a floating event on VGCC’s Main Campus. Lunch was served to students who listened to the presentation and answered questions about what they had learned. The lunch was provided by the VGCC Endowment Office with support from several community sponsors: Franklin-Vance-Warren Opportunity, Inc.; Judge Randolph and Sarah Baskerville; Judge Henry and Mamie Banks; and Duke Energy.

Allen said the Men’s Achievement Academy is meeting a widespread need for male students, and for minority males in particular. “My research for my dissertation at North Carolina State University has been about student success for African American males,” he said. “Research shows that these students want to know they are supported by their college. So I hope this program helps to encourage more males to feel welcome attending Vance-Granville because they know there is a support system in place. And over time, we hope to see an impact on these students’ retention and completion rates.”

In addition to the strong role of mentoring by faculty and staff, Allen said one of the main pillars of the program is brotherhood. “We want the group to lean on each other and build relationships with each other, to provide support to one another and foster a sense of belonging,” he added.

“Dean Allen’s vision for this program and our male students being successful speaks volumes. The Men’s Achievement Academy is an important part of our student success agenda. We are supportive of the work of Dean Allen, Mr. Debnam and other faculty and staff who are mentoring the Academy participants,” said Levy Brown, vice president of Learning, Student Engagement & Success.

Currently, VGCC is recruiting a second group, or cohort, to join the Men’s Achievement Academy in the fall 2020 semester. That recruitment effort includes students who are about to graduate from high school. Allen hopes for students from the first cohort of the program to serve as peer mentors to members of the second cohort.

For more information on the Men’s Achievement Academy, contact Jeffrey Allen at (252) 738-3405 or allenjl@vgcc.edu or Marque Debnam at (252) 738-3619 or debnamm@vgcc.edu.

‘A Matter of Balance’ Workshop for Older Adults Open to First 12 Registrants

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

-Information courtesy Tara Goolsby, Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Program Superintendent, Aycock Recreation Center

The Henderson-Vance Recreation & Parks Department, in partnership with the Kerr-Tar Area Agency on Aging, will offer a free workshop titled “A Matter of Balance” at the Aycock Rec. Center in Henderson.

This is an award-winning series of eight sessions to be held on Mondays from 1 until 3 p.m. beginning March 23 and concluding May 11, 2020.

The sessions are designed to reduce the fear of falling and increase activity among older adults who are 60 years old and better. Space in the class is on a first-come, first-served basis with a limit of 12 people.

Participants must preregister by Monday, March 23.

Please contact Crystal Allen at (252) 431-6091, callen@ci.henderson.nc.us. or Tyler Terry at (252) 438-2670, tterry@ci.henderson.nc.us for more information.

H-V Rec. & Parks to Hold Annual Egg Hunt in Two Locations

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

-Information courtesy Tara Goolsby, Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Program Superintendent, Aycock Recreation Center

The Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Department’s Egg Hunt will be held at two locations this year: Aycock Recreation Center (307 Carey Chapel Road, Henderson) and Rollins Avenue Park (305 Rollins Avenue, Henderson) on Saturday, April 4, 2020, from 10 a.m. until all eggs are gone!

For more information, please contact Crystal Allen at (252) 431-6091 or callen@ci.henderson.nc.us.

Town Talk 03/03/20: Have You Voted? Primary Election Day Info.

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

 

H-V Emergency Operations

Town Talk 03/02/20: Severe Weather Preparedness Week March 1-7

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

Brian Short, Director of Henderson-Vance County Emergency Operations, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Monday at 11 a.m.

Short announced that March 1 – March 7 is the 2020 North Carolina Severe Weather Preparedness Week. With the potential of severe weather peaking with the beginning of the spring season, Short said now is the time to prepare in case of an emergency situation.

“Mother Nature rarely gives us a break,” said Short. “It seems like there is something we face every season. As we slide into spring, there is the potential for severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, flash flooding and lightning.”

The number one thing you can do to prepare for severe weather is to make a safety plan for you and your family, Short explained. The plan should include which room(s) of the home to seek shelter in and who to contact in case of an emergency.

Tips for staying safe in events such as a tornado include seeking shelter in an interior room with no windows, staying close to the ground and getting in a doorway, which tends to be more structurally-sound than other parts of the home.

In addition to making a severe weather safety plan, Short said the National Weather Service (NWS) encourages everyone to participate in a Statewide Tornado Drill, which will occur on Wednesday, March 4, 2020, at 9:30 a.m. Every school, business, workplace, and family across the state is strongly encouraged to participate.

In information Short provided to WIZS, the NWS states the following:

  • The tornado drill will be broadcast on NOAA Weather Radio and the Emergency Alert System via the Required Monthly Test (RMT). There will not be an actual Tornado Warning issued.
  • Many NOAA Weather Radio receivers (including the older Midland WR-100 radios that many schools have) do not sound an audible alert for the RMT product; instead, they may have a blinking light on the display to indicate that an RMT was received. As such, when the RMT for the statewide tornado drill is initiated at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 4, 2020, there is a chance that your NOAA Weather Radio will not sound an alarm.

Since your NOAA Weather Radio may not sound an alarm at the time the RMT is issued, you may do one of the following:

  • Manually turn on your NOAA Weather Radio receiver and listen to the audio broadcast to hear when the RMT is issued, which will mark the beginning of the statewide tornado drill.
  • Plan to start your tornado drill on your own at 9:30 a.m.

There will be no follow-up statements issued by the NWS to mark the end of the statewide tornado drill. It will end when your group feels that you have adequately practiced your tornado shelter procedures.

According to the NWS, if there is actual severe weather occurring on March 4, 2020, the statewide tornado drill will be postponed. The alternate date for the drill is Friday, March 6, 2020, at 9:30 a.m.

Short encourages Henderson residents (that haven’t already done so) to visit www.vancecounty.org/em to register for the Code Red emergency notification service. By signing up for Code Red, you will receive local weather alerts and emergency information – evacuation notices, bio-terrorism alerts, boil water notices, missing child reports, etc. – directly to your phone.

For additional information on Severe Weather Preparedness Week, please visit https://www.weather.gov/rah/2020ncswpw where you’ll find links to daily severe weather topics and useful severe weather preparedness tips and information.

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

I Voted Sticker

Tues. is Election Day; Less Than 10 Percent of Vance Co. Voters Cast Early Ballots

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

Early voting finished Saturday. According to election director Faye Gill for the Vance County Board of Elections, “ The grand total for entire Early Voting is 2,793.” Vance County has 28,471 registered voters, which means 9.8 percent of eligible voters in Vance County voted early.

When compared to the May 2018 primary in Vance County, which held a Democratic Primary race for Sheriff, 18.39 percent of eligible voters cast a vote in 2018. Just a head-to-head comparison would lead you to believe that half of those who will vote have already done so early.

But this is a Presidential election year and Super Tuesday.

If you go back to the March 2016 primary election – the last Presidential Election year – almost 32 percent of eligible Vance County voters cast a vote, which would be an indication that so far this year a little less than one third, or more specifically about 30.6 percent, of the people who are planning to vote have already done so early.

The Polls are open Tuesday from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

All absentee ballots must be returned by Tuesday, March 3, 2020, at 5 p.m. or must be postmarked by March 3, 2020, and received in the Board of Elections Office by 5 p.m. on Friday, March 6, 2020.

Voters WILL NOT be required to show photo ID for the March 3, 2020 Primary Election. In a December 31 order, a federal district court blocked North Carolina’s voter photo ID requirement from taking effect. This injunction will remain in place until further order of the court.

H-V Chamber Thanks Community for Support of Annual Membership Banquet (Pics)

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Information and photos courtesy Michele Burgess, president of the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce:

The Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce had a very successful 2020 Annual Membership Meeting and Banquet. We had an early sell-out of our 400 available seats, so I wanted to share some highlights with those of you who were unable to attend.

We appreciate the efforts of our 2019 Outgoing Chairman of the Board of Directors, Nancy Wykle (The Daily Dispatch) and we were excited to welcome Tyler Brewer (Brewer Cycles) as our new 2020 Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Our Annual Meeting Planning Committee did an outstanding job of recommending new and exciting features to reinvigorate this signature event. The members of the Planning Committee were Stephanie Hoyle, Diane Finch, Julia Langston, Melissa Paul, John Charles Rose, Micheal Shaw, Ana Vaughan, Gayle Watkins and Nancy Wykle.

I hope you will enjoy the Chamber video that was shown at the Annual Meeting – Click on this link to watch: https://youtu.be/D2zykVWh4G4.

Special thanks to Edward Ortega with Vance County Schools, Jeannie Rose and John Charles Rose with WIZS Radio who volunteered many, many hours of their time and talent to produce this video for our Chamber.

Congratulations to our 2019 Citizen of the Year – Tommy and Carolyn Farmer – and congratulations to Desiree Brooks (The Daily Dispatch) our Chamber Ambassador of the Year.

Thank you to our Presenting Sponsor – Duke Energy. Other sponsors included: (Gold) Benchmark Community Bank, MARS Petcare, and Walmart Distribution Center; (Silver) Truist Bank, Maria Parham Health, and Wake Electric Membership Corp; (Bronze) EnviroLink and Union Bank.

We added a Social event prior to dinner at this year’s banquet; thank you to  Rose Oil Company for sponsoring the hot beverage bar and to Maria Parham Health for providing the appetizers.

Catering for dinner was provided by Ted Wheeler, Ted’s Catering Service.

We enjoyed entertainment by the Vance County High School chorus and the Just Friends band that played during our Social.

Thank you to Chick-fil-A for donating meal gift cards for the students and the band members. MARS Petcare contributed chocolate candy table favors to everyone and Emily Arner Freeman provided homemade cupcakes for a special dessert.

Door Prizes were donated by Document Systems (office supplies); Henderson Family YMCA (6-month membership); Henderson Wellness (spa package gift certificates); Lowe’s Home Improvement ($50 gift certificate); Mast Drug Company (gift basket); Ribeye’s of Henderson ($50 gift certificate); Schewels Home (LG 32” Television); Southern Laundry ($25 gift certificate); The Daily Dispatch (1-year subscription); and The Peanut Roaster (peanuts gift basket).

We appreciate your support of our Chamber and we encourage you to become involved in one of our many Chamber of Commerce committees or attend one of our networking events. Contact the Chamber at (252) 438-8414 for more information.

Registration Underway for Vance Co. Special Olympics Volleyball

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-Information courtesy Tara Goolsby, Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Program Superintendent, Aycock Recreation Center

Vance County’s Special Olympics Volleyball will play on Tuesday nights from March 24 through May 26, 2020, at the Aycock Rec. Center. Games will be held from 6 – 7:30 p.m.

Applicants must pre-register by Friday, March 13, 2020.

The purpose of the Vance County Special Olympics North Carolina is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.

For more information, please contact Crystal Allen at (252) 431-6091 or callen@ci.henderson.nc.us.