Tag Archive for: #warrencountynews

Boyette, Thompson Warn of Cyberattacks During Hurricane Florence

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-Press Release, NC Department of Information Technology

State Chief Information Officer Eric Boyette and State Chief Risk Officer Maria Thompson are urging North Carolinians to be cautious of cybercrime before, during, and after Hurricane Florence.

Cybercriminals take advantage of natural disasters such as hurricanes to solicit personal information illegally and to take advantage of vulnerable infrastructures, disaster victims and volunteers by phishing. Phishing is when a criminal sends out an email, text message, or even a phone call pretending to be a reputable and legitimate source in order to obtain personal information such as credit card and Social Security numbers.

“Be cautious and stay vigilant,” said State Chief Risk Officer Maria Thompson. “Let’s ensure one disaster does not lead to another. Phishing threats are real. Cybercriminals will use every tactic in their arsenal to deprive citizens of their information and ultimately their financial assets.”

Take these steps to prevent being taken advantage of by cybercriminals:

  • Carefully look at email and web addresses since cybercriminals will make them look as legitimate as possible, often using variations of spellings. The URL may have a different domain, such as .gov instead of .net.
  • Do not click on links in emails from anyone unless you know and have verified the sender of the email.
  • Take time to look at the sender’s email address. Do not click on any links until you are certain the organization is real. Check the organization’s website for its contact information and use sites such as www.charitynavigator.org to verify a charity organization.
  • Make sure all of your anti-virus software is up-to-date and you’ve enacted the anti-phishing software provided by your email client.
  • Phishing emails and phone calls may also try to pose as official disaster aid organizations such as FEMA. A true FEMA representative will never ask personal banking information, Social Security number, or registration number.

“We all need to be mindful of the value of the data we have and use every day,” said Eric Boyette, State Chief Information Officer and Secretary of the Department of Information Technology. “Too many people are vulnerable during natural disasters and it is imperative to take necessary precautions to protect yourself. Think of it as preparing an emergency kit for your personal data.”

For more information about the North Carolina Department of Information Technology, visit our website or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Flickr.

National Weather Service

Hurricane Florence Updates – Sept. 13

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Updated Thursday, Sept. 13 at 3 p.m.

WIZS will be bringing you updates on Hurricane Florence as new information is received. Please check the WIZS website, Facebook page and listen live to WIZS 1450 AM and 100.1 FM for updates throughout the week.

The latest briefing from the National Weather Service can be found by clicking here. The forecast – including rainfall amounts, wind speeds and storm direction – is remaining steady from earlier today.

Updated Thursday, Sept. 13 at 10:30 a.m.

We should begin to feel the effects of the storm late this evening and tonight with conditions gradually worsening overnight and into tomorrow. They have increased our rainfall potential slightly but, other than that, nothing much has changed.

We have now officially decided to open the emergency shelter at Eaton Johnson Middle School located on Beckford Drive in Henderson at 5 p.m. today. Please DO NOT arrive early as no one will be there and the school will likely be locked until that time.

We are using our CODE RED system to get this message out to all of our citizens this morning. If you are not already signed up to receive messages on that system, please visit our web page at www.vancecounty.org/EM and click on the Emergency Alert System link to sign up. This system will be used to issue important notices prior to and after the storm’s impact.

We will be activating the Emergency Operations Center at 5 p.m. this evening and will begin 24-hour EOC operations at that time. As of now, we are at Readiness Level 1, which is our highest level in preparation for the storm. The 911 Center will be overstaffed as of 11 a.m. today and will remain that way throughout the storm. We are expecting the communications center to be extremely busy during the storm, so we are asking residents NOT to dial 911 for general questions to ensure that true emergency calls are able to get through.        

Please “like” Vance County Emergency Operations on Facebook to stay up to date on what is happening with the storm. We will also continue to forward along all relevant information as it is received.

Stay Safe.

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Updated Thursday, Sept. 13 at 9 a.m.

Hurricane Florence is approaching the coast and will slow today, and make landfall early Friday along the southern North Carolina coast, then slowly meander southwest into and across South Carolina. Confidence is HIGH that the event will occur; MODERATE confidence in expected impacts.

Strong sustained winds and gusts expected on Friday, likely persisting into the weekend. Strongest gusts expected across the southeastern coastal plain of NC. Flash and eventually river flooding likely beginning this evening and persisting through the weekend and into early next week. A risk for short-lived and weak tornadoes as the rain bands push ashore this evening through Saturday afternoon.

YOUR PREPARATIONS SHOULD BE IN PLACE NO LATER THAN MID-DAY TODAY!

Three Key Points

1. Hurricane Warning now in effect for Sampson and Wayne Counties. Tropical Storm Warning for Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Johnston, Lee, Moore, Nash, Richmond, Wake and Wilson counties.

2. Prolonged, life-threatening inland flooding event from heavy rain is expected across much of southern and eastern N.C.

3. Dangerous winds will also result in downed trees which will likely culminate in widespread and prolonged power outages.

For a much more detailed breakdown of the current forecast, including expected wind speed and rainfall amounts in our area, visit the National Weather Service website by clicking here. 

NC Coop Extension

Public Invited to Attend ‘Gathering of Gardeners’ Workshop

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-Information courtesy Paul McKenzie, Agricultural Extension Agent, Vance/Warren Counties, NC Cooperative Extension

The gardening public is invited to attend a “Gathering of Gardeners: Practical Strategies for Gardening in Challenging Times and Conditions” on September 22, 2018, 9 a.m. to noon. Gardeners in Warren County and surrounding areas can learn about straw bale gardening, rain barrels and more at this workshop sponsored by the Extension Master Gardener℠ volunteers.

Participants can also get their gardening questions answered from a panel of Master Gardener volunteers. The event will be held at Buck Spring Park near Lake Gaston, located at 217 Nathaniel Macon Dr. Registration is $10 in advance or $12 at the door. All the details are available at https://warren.ces.ncsu.edu/ or by calling 252-257-3640.

Triangle North Healthcare Foundation Awards Over $340K in Health Grants

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-Press Release, Triangle North Healthcare Foundation

Triangle North Healthcare Foundation’s Board of Directors has approved $343,450 in grant awards to local organizations in the Foundation’s sixth annual grant cycle. With the 2018 grant award, the Foundation’s contributions to the community total $1.5 million since the Foundation began grantmaking in 2013.

“The primary purpose of our grantmaking is to invest in organizations that share our mission to improve health in our region,” said Val Short, executive director for the Foundation. The 2018 grant awards will fund 12 projects presented by nonprofits and agencies that serve local communities—and all of them will focus on community health and health improvement programs throughout the four-county region. “Our hope is that these grant awards will result in improved health and healthier outcomes for children and adults in Vance, Warren, Granville, and Franklin counties,” said Short.

The 12 grants approved by the board fall under one or more of the five funding priorities established by the Foundation in 2013, including chronic disease, mental health and substance abuse, nutrition and physical activity, reproductive health, and success in school as related to health and wellness.

Most of the 2018 grant projects focus on chronic disease management and prevention and mental health and substance abuse. The TNHF grantees will provide a broad range of approaches to improving health– from programs that provide healing and support to traumatized children, to programs that provide strategies for managing chronic disease, to programs that provide care, treatment, and support for those with substance abuse disorders. “In all of our grant programs, health and wellness are at the heart of the work they will do,” said Short.

A list of the grant recipients and their projects for 2018-19 include:

  • ACTS of Vance County – Healing Hearts— Congestive Heart Failure patients who have been hospitalized will have the opportunity to receive heart-healthy, home-delivered meals for 10 days after discharge to help prevent further hospitalizations and to support a more comfortable quality of life.
  • Alliance Rehabilitative Care (ARC) – Access to Dental Care – Residents entering the substance abuse halfway house in Henderson will receive a dental screening and preventive care and, when necessary, more extensive dental treatment to prevent further decay and to promote overall health.
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of North Central NC – Project Sport – This pilot program will target 4th and 5th graders who will participate in two existing programs, plus they will learn skills that will prepare them to participate in organized competitive team sports activities, including flag football, basketball, soccer and tennis.
  • Franklin-Granville-Vance Smart Start – Teens Fit for Life – the existing Adolescent Parenting Program will continue the Nutrition & Fitness component through participation in programs at the YMCA and through nutrition education provided by Cooperative Extension.
  • Granville-Vance Public Health – Responding to the Opioid Crisis in Vance & Granville Counties—Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) for substance abuse disorders will be available at the Health Department’s Primary Care Clinic in addition to the continuation of the work of the VIBRANT Coalition to address the four focus areas of the N.C. Opioid Action Plan.
  • Henderson Family YMCA – 1) Girls on the Run – a self-esteem, self- respect and healthy lifestyles program for girls & boys culminating in a 5k run/walk at the end of each semester; 2) Safety Around Water – teaches water safety and drowning prevention skills to 2nd graders in Vance County.
  • NC Med Assist – Free Pharmacy Program & Over-the-Counter Giveaways – provides free medications and support for low income and uninsured individuals in the Triangle North Region. In addition, two over-the-counter medicine giveaways will be implemented this year in Warren and Franklin counties.
  • Shepherd Youth Ranch – Trail to Success – Provide skill building for youth suffering from grief, loss, abandonment and abuse. Partial scholarships will be provided to 10 youth who are referred by the school system or law enforcement who will enter into an intensive 24-week program, which consists of weekly group and monthly family sessions in a unique program that uses horses to help with therapy.
  • Strength and Mending (S.a.M) Child Advocacy Center – Child Forensic Interviews – provides a centralized, child-centered approach to investigation that reduces the risk of trauma to the children who are victims of abuse; increases opportunities for healing for the child and non-offending family members.
  • TROSA (Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers, Inc.) – Rebuilding Lives: Mental Health & Substance Abuse Recovery – provides a two-year residential recovery program with treatment, education, vocational training and care for residents of the Triangle North region who suffer from alcohol and substance abuse, free of charge.
  • Warren County Senior Center. – Diabetes Peer Educator Training and Outreach— in partnership with Warren County Health Department, this program will prepare volunteers to deliver diabetes self- management classes and support to Warren County residents in their own communities.

Located in Henderson, Triangle North Healthcare Foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations, governmental agencies, and schools in Vance, Warren, Granville, and Franklin counties. The Foundation’s grant funding mission has been made possible by the endowment that was established after Maria Parham Health merged with the for-profit Duke-Lifepoint in 2011.

The Foundation will launch a new grant cycle in the spring of 2019, but in the meantime, the Foundation staff is available to discuss ideas for grant projects or to provide assistance with grant writing. Information about our grantees and future grant opportunities is available on the website at www.tnhfoundation.org or call 252-598-0763.

Hurricane Florence Targets Major East Coast Logging Operations in NC

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-Press Release, North Carolina Loggers Association

As Hurricane Florence’s wind speeds currently surpass 130 mph, North Carolina loggers are bracing for the hurricane expected to make landfall on the Carolina coast Thursday night as a Category 4 or 5 storm. Major lumber and paper mills powering the state’s $29.4 billion dollar forestry business, along with the loggers harvesting its abundant natural resource, currently lie directly in its path.

Recent massive rainstorms across the state the past month have already slowed logging operations. Hurricane Florence is expected to compound the issue.

North Carolina has about 18.8 million acres of timberland. According to North Carolina State University, the forest products community leads the manufacturing sector within the state. Forest products impact the state’s economy, with more than 1,000 companies directly contributing to North Carolina’s forest industry that employs more than 70,000 individuals.

Photo of Brett McHenry with Brett McHenry’s Logging (Photo Credit Ed Lallo)

“It’s essential, first and foremost, for our loggers and mill operators to be out of harms way by the time the storm hits land,” said Ewell Smith, Executive Director of the Carolina Loggers Association, a non-profit corporation organized to promote logging professionalism and business opportunities for the state’s forest products network. “Currently, the loggers are in the process of securing job sites and bringing in as many logs as possible to the mills to keep them going in the wake of the storm. As one of the state’s largest business sectors vital to our economy, any major disruption in production will definitely create a significant economic ripple for small and large businesses alike.”

According to Smith, the wood and paper mills are just the tip of usage for forestry products. There are numerous other products that are dependent on the same resource and will be impacted from the storm; glass on cell phones, toothpaste, gum for chewing and gluing, as well as America’s favorite McDonalds McFlurry with Oreo Cookies.

Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina, along with his counterparts in South Carolina and Virginia, has already declared a state of emergency. The governor has signed an executive order that waives truck weight limits for “crops ready to be harvested” which includes timber.

The office of North Carolina’s Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler is continuing to watch the path of Hurricane Florence that has the potential to be a powerful and devastating storm.

“Our state has witnessed the destructive effects of hurricane-force winds and heavy rains in the past, so we know we need to be prepared,” said the Agriculture Commissioner. “Farmers and timber owners need to review their emergency plans, stock up on supplies, compile emergency contact information and monitor weather updates to keep their families safe. We are prepared to work with our state and local partners to help our agriculture and forestry community if the need arises.”

Sitting 116 miles from the coast, Brett McHenry Logging in Wilson, NC has been hit by multiple storms in the past. “Wilson’s my community,” said owner Brett McHenry. “This will definitely be the worst storm we’ve ever had to prepare for. We just finished cutting and now we’re picking up any logs and squaring up our sites and equipment.”

According to Smith, “Hurricane Florence has the potential to bring a vast amount of rain and wind,” he said. “Flooded and saturated lands only compound the issues with the increased safety risks for our loggers while cleaning up fallen trees. Again the number one issue right now is for our logging and forestry communities, as well as people living in wooded areas, to get out of harm’s way of Hurricane Florence.”

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Contact: Ewell Smith

504-884-4585 esmith@ncloggers.com

The CLA is a nonprofit corporation organized to promote professionalism and business opportunities for members. The CLA is a 501(c)(6) non-profit business league. CLA focuses on regional, state and national business issues

Ewell Smith was the former Executive Director of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board who has weathered four disastrous hurricanes including Hurricane Katrina.

All Campuses of Vance-Granville Community College Closed Sept. 13-16

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-Information courtesy Vance-Granville Community College

Due to the threat of inclement weather, all campuses of Vance-Granville Community College will be closed and all classes and activities are canceled Thursday through Sunday, September 13-16.

Warren Co. Schools Closing TODAY at 12:30

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-Information courtesy Warren County Schools

Warren County Schools will close at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 12 and remain closed until further notice.

Please stay tuned to the district website, social media and local news stations for updates.

9-11 Pentagon Survivors Share Their Experience in Honor of Patriot Day

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In the midst of continuous Hurricane Florence coverage and updates, WIZS was honored to speak with two 9-11 survivors this Patriot Day.

Today marks the 17th anniversary of the day hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Arlington, VA and a field in Shanksville, PA. The 9-11 attacks killed 2,996 people, making it the deadliest foreign attack ever on U.S. soil.

Two survivors from the attack on the Pentagon, husband and wife David and Evelyn Woodson, were on Tuesday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk program to discuss their experience on that fateful day.

The Woodson’s were working in the Pentagon on the morning of September 11, 2001 – he with the U.S. Navy and she with the Marine Corp. “It was a regular Tuesday morning,” said David. “We got up like everyone else, got our coffee and went to work.”

David and Evelyn Woodson in the WIZS studio to share their experience as survivors of the 9-11 Pentagon attack.

Little did they know that hours later, 189 people would be killed in the Pentagon attack alone; 64 from American Airlines Flight 77 that crashed into the building.

According to David, Evelyn called him around 9:15 a.m. that morning to ask if he was near a television and had he seen what was going on in New York. At that time, David was in his office on the fifth floor and Evelyn was in the Pentagon’s clinic for a routine weekly physical.

David quickly found a group standing around a tv right before the second plane crashed into the World Trade Center. “When the second plane hit, everyone was glued to the screen. By that point, everyone knew we were under attack. It became quiet as we all watched in amazement, really.”

As David watched the horror unfold he remembers thinking that the Pentagon had always been a target in the past and that he and co-workers previously worried about bombings. “While I’m standing there contemplating that, I hear screams and yells coming through the corridor and a police officer said, ‘Everybody out, evacuate the building now!’”

“When I exited the building and turned around, I could tell the plane came in near my office and I worried about my staff and supervisors,” said David. “I was also waiting for Evelyn to come around the corner to know that she was safe.”

For her part, Evelyn said her thoughts evacuating the building were on her two children and how she could let them know she was alive in a time before the majority of people owned cell phones.

“You’re trained for this but never expect to have to use your training,” Evelyn said. “I suffer from PTSD because I came in the next day and you have all the bodies that they found lying in the middle of the courtyard covered with white tarp. It was very traumatic for me.”

In some ways, David believes returning to work immediately following the attack helped the couple regain a sense of normalcy. “It helped us to go back to work the next day and see the recovery efforts start immediately.”

When asked how they cope with such an experience, David responded “I think God has given me peace about this. It’s almost like someone breaks into your house and robs you of more than just your possessions. I’ve never had a feeling like that before.”

“It’s our faith in God that has gotten us through this.”

H-V Emergency Operations

Hurricane Florence Updates – Tues. Sept. 11

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Updated Tuesday, Sept. 11 at 12:30 p.m.

WIZS will be bringing you updates on Hurricane Florence as new information is received. Please check the WIZS website, Facebook page and listen live to WIZS 1450 AM and 100.1 FM for updates throughout the week. The latest briefing from the National Weather Service can be found any time by clicking here.

Information is provided courtesy Brian K. Short, director of Henderson-Vance County Emergency Operations.

(Click here for WIZS audio of this Story.)

With Hurricane Florence now only a few days away from us, our preparation efforts are now in full swing. As you can see from the latest weather briefing from the National Weather Service, this is a powerful storm that is expected to bring tremendous rainfall and damaging winds to our area of NC.

Widespread power outages are likely due to falling trees and wind. There is tremendous potential for widespread flooding and flash flooding as well. At this time, we are anticipating the tropical storm force winds to reach us late Thursday evening, but that could certainly change as the system gets closer to us.

We will be having a responder briefing which will include City and County government personnel on the apparatus floor of Henderson Fire Department Station 1 located at 211 Dabney Drive in Henderson. The briefing will begin at 3 p.m. tomorrow (Wednesday). Representatives from all responder agencies are strongly encouraged to attend.

Additionally, we are planning on recommending that a local Proclamation of a State of Emergency be put in place at the conclusion of tomorrows responder briefing. It will remain in place throughout the storm.

At this time we are planning to open a single, centrally located shelter at Eaton Jonson’s Middle School, located at 500 N. Beckford Drive in Henderson. We may adjust the opening time slightly as the storm gets closer to us but for now, we will open the shelter at 9 a.m. on Thursday. Below is a list of shelter items that every shelter occupant MUST bring with them to the shelter. We will do limited feeding at the shelter but will not be supplying personal items or any other items that occupants might have forgotten, so please refer to the list and read it carefully.

We are particularly concerned for residents who live in mobile/manufactured homes. We are expected to have tropical storm force winds in our area, which can cause significant damage, especially to smaller structures. We are therefore encouraging those residents who live in mobile homes to report to the shelter.

If you are a resident that does not have a way to the shelter, then please reach out to our office and we will do our best to arrange it with KARTS. They are willing to provide limited transportation services if anyone absolutely does not have another way to get there. We are encouraging residents who do not have transportation of their own to reach out to family members and neighbors first. This will ensure that they are available to those who absolutely do not have any other means of travel. If you have a need to transport a pet using KARTS, they will not transport it unless it is secured in an animal crate.

For those who have pets they wish to bring to the shelter, they must bring their pets to the Vance County Animal Shelter located on Brodie Road in Henderson. You will need to leave your pet there and then report to the general population shelter. You will be reunited with your pet after the storm. If you have a crate for your pet you must bring it with you to the shelter.

We will also be announcing our shelter openings utilizing our CODE RED community alert system, radio, print and social media, so please follow us on Facebook.

I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to take the time to prepare before the storm’s arrival. There is still time, so please use the attached as a guide. Remember, if this is a significant impact across the state (and it is believed that will be the case,) it could take days for any significant help to reach us. Therefore we strongly encourage everyone to be 72 hours self- sufficient.

Further updates will be forwarded along as they are received.

NC Coop Extension

Area Farmers Advised to Make Storm Preps for Hurricane Florence

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-Information courtesy Paul McKenzie, Agricultural Extension Agent, Vance/Warren Counties, NC Cooperative Extension

The local office of NC Cooperative Extension is a great source of storm preparation information for local farmers. A few quick tips are compiled below, but be sure to call or visit one of the web links below for complete details.

  • Consider moving beehives temporarily if there is a risk they could topple over or be damaged by falling trees or limbs or by flooding. Take aid of King Green servicemen if you need help with felled trees. Make sure the hive lid is secured to the hive, possibly with ratchet straps or duct tape.

  • Produce growers should harvest as much as possible before the storm. Crops like tomatoes and melons may split after excessive rains, and leafy greens may suffer wind damage.

  • Make sure pesticides are stored securely, where they are safe from flooding and water damage.

  • Prepare your greenhouse for high winds. There is a strong probability that we will have tropical storm force winds in this area. At a minimum, keep it closed up and inflated, and you may want to remove the plastic completely.

  • If you have to use a backup generator to keep your farm in operation, be certain it is located in a well-ventilated area. Never use one in a basement or attached garage or other enclosed area.

  • Scout your farm carefully for equipment and materials that could become airborne during tropical storm force winds. Put them in a secure location.

  • Be careful not to overload extension cords that are running from a backup generator. An overloaded extension cord can start a fire.

  • If evacuation seems like a possibility, make sure you have a plan for your livestock.

As mentioned above, lots more details can be found at https://ncdisaster.ces.ncsu.edu or https://ncagr.gov/disaster, or by calling NC Cooperative Extension at 252-438-8188 (Vance) or 252-257-3640 (Warren).