Tag Archive for: #vancecountynews

Choosing The Right Christmas Tree For You

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With those Thanksgiving leftovers slowly clearing out of refrigerators, thoughts turn from one holiday season to the next. And for many, that means choosing and decorating a Christmas tree.

Some households choose to blend the two seasons, trimming the tree as soon as the Thanksgiving table has been cleared. Others, however, prefer to wait until the calendar turns to December to begin decorating their homes for Christmas.

Choosing a Christmas tree can be a lot of fun for families – whether you go to a choose-and-cut farm or wander among the plentiful firs and pines that wait to be chosen in lots that pop up at this time of year.

Vance County Cooperative Extension’s Wayne Rowland has a few tips to keep in mind when selecting a live tree:

  • Decide where the tree will be placed – if it will be in a corner, you don’t necessarily need a tree that looks good from all sides. You may need to look for a #1 premium grade tree if all sides of the tree will be visible.
  • If you choose a balled and burlap tree to plant in your landscape after the holidays, remember to choose a type that will live in this climate. Pines, cedars and cypress may fit the bill.

Keep the trees well watered while they are being displayed in the home – it will help them stay fresher longer. Remember, however, that cut trees will dry out in heated homes, so look for the freshest ones. Close floor vents that may be near the tree and consider putting up the tree in a cooler part of the house to extend the tree’s freshness.

Almost all counties in North Carolina can grow Christmas trees, but the popular Fraser firs can only grow in the mountains and are shipped nationwide.

In addition to the Fraser fir, other native grown trees include white pine, Virginia pine, red cedar and Leyland Cypress. The different species of trees have different characteristics, so be prepared to consider what’s important to you in the tree you choose: is it foliage density, color or fragrance that you most desire?

Plenty of growers have their own retail lots during the holiday season, and there are many charitable organizations and civic groups that use Christmas tree sales as fundraisers.

But choose-and-cut farms offer families an“experience” that could include activities for everyone to enjoy.

Learn About TROSA’s Recovery Program At Dec. 13 Event

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Jesse Battle is senior director of community partnerships for TROSA, a multi-year recovery program for individuals with substance use disorders.

Battle will be in Henderson on Dec. 13 at Baskerville’s Funeral Home Chapel to speak about TROSA, which stands for Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers.

The program begins at 6 p.m. and will be held at the funeral home, located at 104 S. Chestnut St., according to information from Charlie Baskerville, Jr.

TROSA, a cost-free option for all North Carolinians, serves as a national model for recovery programs. Founded in 1994, TROSA is an award-winning and licensed multi-year residential program providing care for men and women with substance use disorders for more than 25 years.

TROSA is a free treatment program and participants do not need insurance.

Designed to take two years to complete, the TROSA program gives residents the time, tools and services to learn and practice living in recovery, according to written information provided by TROSA.

Participants receive housing, meals, clothing and essential daily-care items during the program, and also get vocational and life skills training opportunities, medical care – including dental and vision care – as well as counseling and daily therapeutic activities and mentorship opportunities.

To learn more about TROSA, call 833.408.7672 or visit www.trosa.org.

 

 

Ellis Honored At Retirement Celebration For 32 Years On School Board

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Margaret A. Ellis was first elected to the Vance County Board of Education in November 1990. Ellis held the District 6 seat for the next 32 years, and the school board honored her earlier this month at a retirement celebration.

The reception was held Nov. 10, 2022 in the Atrium of the Center for Innovation.

Numerous speakers, family, friends and colleagues were on hand to show their appreciation.

“Vance County Schools is grateful for the many years Mrs. Ellis served,” according to a press statement from VCS.
“She truly made a difference not just in our community, but the lives of every student over the last three decades.”

Ellis also worked with WIZS radio for more than 25 years as host of the Sunday morning show “Sounds from Jordan.”

 

S-Line Rail Corridor

Upcoming S-Line Rail Project Updates Set For Henderson, Norlina

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Area residents have a couple of opportunities this week to hear updates about the planned S-Line rail project that includes stops in Henderson and Norlina as part of a 95-mile stretch of rail that that ultimately will connect Richmond and Tampa.

If you’re planning to attend the Henderson Christmas parade Saturday afternoon, then Sadie’s Coffee Corner is the place where a community “pop-up” event will be held.

Stop by anytime between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. at the 324 S. Garnett St. location to learn the latest about the S-Line and transit-oriented development.

A second opportunity takes place Friday, Dec. 2 outside Rachel’s Whistle Stop in Norlina. There will be an information table set up for interested individuals to stop by any time between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., according to information from Warren County Director of Community and Economic Development Charla Duncan.

Rachel’s Whistle Stop is located at 123 Hyco St. in Norlina.

Consultants working with the NC DOT Rail Division will provide updates at each event.

The State of North Carolina’s S-Line project includes six other communities in the region that fall along a 95-mile-long section of the S-Line rail corridor including Apex, Franklinton, Henderson, Raleigh, Sanford, Wake Forest, and Youngsville.

Transit-oriented development has a goal to connect communities and public spaces by increasing accessibility without having to rely on a personal vehicle.

Learn more at https://www.ncdot.gov/divisions/rail/s-line-study.

Community Partners of Hope

Community Partners Of Hope Seeks Donations For Men’s Shelter

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Community Partners of Hope is reaching out this holiday season to ask for donations to provide to the men who come for respite and a warm night’s sleep at the men’s shelter.

The shelter needs snack items like breakfast bars, single-serving sizes of snacks, chips and other individually wrapped cakes and cookies, as well as cases of bottled water, tea or sodas, preferably 12-ounce cans or bottles.

Other favorites include Pop-Tarts, tins of Vienna sausage and fruit cups.

In addition to the food items, the shelter needs paper towels, tall kitchen trash bags (13-gallon size) Clorox cleanup spray, laundry detergent (pods, please) and extra-large black garbage bags (39+-gallon size).

“For some reason we are not receiving as many supply donations as we have in the past and it’s a struggle for our shelter managers,” according to a newsletter from the Community Partners of Hope.

Donations may be dropped off at First Presbyterian Church Monday-Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or call 252.432.9494 to arrange a drop-off time. Cases of bottled water may be left outside the shelter, but other items should be received by someone at the church during the designated times.

The shelter currently has enough hand sanitizer, toiletries, toothbrushes and toothpaste on hand to share with the men, and they have plenty of bedding. Shelter staff are not accepting used clothing or food that needs to be heated.

There are opportunities for providing meals to the men who come to the shelter. To learn more, click THIS LINK.

Boys and Girls Clubs

Put Donation To BGCNCNC On Your “To-Do” List

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The Thanksgiving holiday kicks off in earnest a season of giving, and there are several different ways to make donations that will benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of North Central North Carolina in the coming days and weeks.

Of course, a check mailed to BGCNCNC, P.O. Box 176, Oxford, NC 27565 is always welcome, said CEO Donyell “DJ” Jones, and something for individuals to consider on Giving Tuesday, coming up next week.

Jones said a link will go live on BGCNCNC’s Facebook page Wednesday to make a donation quick and easy.

There are two toy drives underway as well – one in Oxford by Will Jakes, whose Edward Jones office collects new, unwrapped gifts for club members in Granville County.

Jones said the Zeta Alpha chapter of Omega Psi Phi fraternity is sponsoring toy drives across the counties that have clubs as well. “They are really committed about spreading the love and supporting the counties,” Jones said.

Following is a list of collection locations and deadlines:

  • Vance County – Beckford Medical Center, 176 S. Beckford Drive, Henderson. Deadline is Dec. 16.
  • Granville County – Bobo’s Menswear, 216 M.L.K. Jr. Blvd, Oxford. Deadline is Dec. 20.
  • Warren County – Henderson and Henderson Dentistry, LLC, 516 W. Ridgeway St., Warrenton. Deadline is Dec. 19.
  • Franklin County – Franklinton Town Hall, 101 N. Main St., Franklinton. Deadline is Dec. 15.

Through generous donations from the community last year, Jones said every club member received a gift for Christmas.

He said he hopes that financial contributions come in between now and the end of the year to help “give us a leg up in 2023.”

Whether it’s a check in the mail, a click on the Facebook page or a gift for a child, Jones said efforts from a caring community “truly make a difference for our young people.”

White House Announces 6-Week Media Blitz To Encourage COVID-19 Vaccine, Boosters

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The Biden Administration has announced a six-week campaign through the end of the year urging Americans to get their updated COVID-19 vaccine. With winter and holiday gatherings right around the corner, more Americans getting their updated vaccine will help avoid thousands of preventable COVID-19 deaths.

Whether you’re watching a World Cup soccer match or visiting the local health department, expect to be informed – often – about the benefits of getting COVID-19 vaccines and boosters to promote community health. Ad campaigns and public service announcement across multimedia outlets and platforms are going to focus on senior adults and populations hardest hit by COVID-19.
More than 70,000 locations are offering the updated COVID-19 vaccines – the Granville-Vance Public Health has both the Moderna and Pfizer bivalent boosters, which GVPH Director Lisa Harrison said protects against the omicron variant. But this is the time for providers to think outside the box with pop-up clinics and other mobile settings in rural and remote areas.

HHS will continue direct outreach in communities with community partners and messengers to provide easy access to updated COVID-19 vaccines and information on the benefits of vaccination.

The new enforcement guidance ensures nursing homes are offering updated COVID-19 vaccines and timely treatment to their residents and staff, according to the White House press statement. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requires nursing homes to educate their residents on the benefits of lifesaving COVID-19 vaccinations and to offer the vaccines to their residents. CMS will issue guidance today reminding health care providers of this requirement. In its guidance, CMS will make clear that nursing homes with low vaccination rates will be referred to state survey agencies for close scrutiny, and that facilities that do not comply with the requirement to offer and educate on the benefit of lifesaving COVID-19 vaccinations will face enforcement actions, including the need to submit corrective action plans to achieve compliance.

Hundreds of pop-up vaccination clinics to make it even easier for people to get their updated COVID-19 vaccines before the end of the year: National and local organizations, state and local health departments, K-12 school districts and higher education institutions, and pharmacies will continue to host pop-up vaccination clinics in urban and rural communities. Americans can also get vaccinated at ongoing events across the country run by schools, colleges, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and state, county, research, and health fairs.

The “We Can Do This” public education campaign is airing TV and digital ads during the World Cup, as well as ads focused on reaching adults over 50 for Black, Latino, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, American Indian and Alaska Native and rural audiences.

The federal government is putting additional funding behind these efforts, including $350 million for community health centers to expand COVID-19 vaccines through mobile, drive-up, walk-up clinics with community partnerships and $125 million to get older Americans and disabled individuals vaccinated and boosted in vaccination events at senior and community centers, as well as providing transportation to help get individuals to clinics.

Terrell Blackmon

Blackmon Updates West End Community Watch Group On URA, Grants And More

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Henderson City Manager Terrell Blackmon spoke to members of the West End Community Watch group at its November meeting and provided some updates to plans for the current West End and Flint Hill urban redevelopment areas.

During the meeting, Blackmon explained a bit about progress being made in several areas, including awarding grants to homeowners to repair and renovate their properties, adding to the code enforcement staff and having an animal control officer whose job would be to work within the city limits.

The city got a $750,000 community development block grant from the N.C. Department of Commerce, and the Kerr-Tar COG has taken more than 70 applications from local homeowners who would like to get some of that money to rehabilitate their homes.

“We are in the process of performing title searches on the six selected properties to confirm ownership and we hope to bid out the construction in the 1st quarter of 2023,” Blackmon said in a follow-up conversation with WIZS News.

Blackmon said the city council approved in September funding for an additional animal control officer, and the city is working on a memorandum of understanding with county officials to fund and advertise the position in the first quarter of 2023.

The city also is working with county leaders to fund an additional code enforcement officer to assist with minimum housing and other enforcement issues in the city and extra-territorial jurisdiction, Blackmon said.

As plans continue for the West End URA, Blackmon said the city is acquiring numerous blighted properties that would become controlled burn sites for the fire department. “Our intent is to bundle these properties and put them in an RFP for the development of new multi-family or single-family housing,” Blackmon stated to WIZS.

“The city does not technically ‘build housing,’ he noted, “but we want to serve as a conduit to encourage private development of new housing.”

Maria Parham Health Earns “A” For Patient Safety From National Group

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Maria Parham Health has received an “A” rating from a national watchdog organization for its achievements in protecting hospital patients from preventable harm and errors.

The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit organization that promotes patient safety, published its findings recently, said Donna Young, MPH coordinator for marketing & communications.

“I applaud the hospital leadership and workforce for their strong commitment to safety and transparency,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “An ‘A’ Safety Grade is a sign that hospitals are continuously evaluating their performance, so that they can best protect patients.  Your hospital team should be extremely proud of their dedication and achievement.”

The Leapfrog Group is an independent national watchdog organization with a 10-year history of assigning letter grades to general hospitals throughout the United States, based on a hospital’s ability to prevent medical errors and harm to patients. The grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Hospital Safety Grade results are based on more than 30 national performance measures and are updated each fall and spring.

To view the complete report, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org or follow The Leapfrog Group on Twitter, Facebook, and via its newsletter.

Sandra Wilkerson New President Of H-V Chamber Of Commerce

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Sandra Wilkerson has been named president of the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce, effective January 1, 2023.

Wilkerson has been the Chamber’s director of programs for the past four years, and she said Friday that she is looking forward to her new role with the Chamber.

“I am excited to step into this leadership role for our community and look forward to working with the board and all of our current team members who make our chamber as strong and vibrant as it is,” she said in a press statement released Friday.

Wilkerson takes over from outgoing president Michele Burgess, who announced last month her plans to step down at the end of the year.

“We are excited to have Sandra step into this leadership role to continue the positive momentum within our Chamber as well as the community,” incoming board chairman Bert Long said in the press statement. “Sandra has made it clear that she hopes to foster collaboration and provide a pathway to business for all in our community,” Long said.

In addition to the past four years as the chamber’s director of programs, Wilkerson was employed for 32 years with the City of Henderson, where she served in various roles.

In 2011 she was honored as a recipient of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine.  Among the most prestigious awards conferred by the Governor of North Carolina, it is awarded to persons for exemplary service to the State of North Carolina and their communities that is above and beyond the call of duty and which has made a significant impact and strengthened North Carolina.