Tag Archive for: #wizsnews

Home and Garden Show

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On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.

  • The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8am-1pm
  • Harvest vegetables early or late in the day. Place them in the shade asap.
  • After thunder storms check for standing water in garden rows. Open the ends of rows to let that standing water out.
  • Check squash for squash bugs, remove egg casings.
  • Identify insects before spraying a chemical. Cooperative Extension can help with insect or disease identification.
  • Keep hydrated and do garden chores early or late in the day.
  • Check your garden for harvestable vegetables each day.
  • Monitor plants for Nitrogen deficiency Yellow green leaves are the first sign of nitrogen deficiency.
  • Continue your fruit spray program according to product directions.
  • Record rainfall each day in your garden journal.
  • Get your vegetable publications from Cooperative Extension.
  • Check houseplants dust weekly with a soft cloth.
  • Check storage areas for mice.

The Vance County Cooperative Extension Building is located at 305 Young St, Henderson, NC 27536

The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is located at 210 Southpark Dr., Henderson, NC 27536

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TownTalk: Advanced Manufacturing At VGCC; Big Opportunities; Big Pay

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Once associated with low pay and manual labor in dirty, hot conditions, today’s manufacturing facilities are clean, temperature-controlled spaces where it’s the robots that do the heavy lifting, and right here in the four-county area that Vance-Granville Community College serves, a full list of companies contribute to the more than $44 billion of goods that the state sends to consumers near and far each year.

That’s where you come in.

Having those manufacturers within the VGCC footprint provides a unique opportunity for the community college to help students with education and training and to create a highly trained pool of employees to fill jobs these employers need.

Stephanie Tolbert, VGCC’s dean of Business and Applied Technologies, said the college has been offering programs like mechatronics and electronic engineering, among others, for a long time. And now, VGCC is getting ready to break ground for construction of its Center for Advanced Manufacturing in Granville County that will ultimately bring all those programs under one roof.

“We have tons of manufacturing companies, and that equals a lot of jobs,” Tolbert told WIZS TownTalk.

With more than 250 workers 55 or older in area manufacturing facilities, Tolbert said VGCC is positioning itself to provide a trained workforce as employees take retirement so companies can keep their production strong.

There are several different paths to get trained, from certificates to an associate’s degree, she explained.

A full-time student can take 4-5 classes and finish in one semester. In one year, a full-time student can take 10-12 classes and receive a diploma credential. An associate’s degree takes two years.

A student can get started in a certificate program, secure a job upon completion and then return for the additional classes – sometimes on the employer’s dime.

“They need employees now but know that this education is valuable and will make them a better employee,” Tolbert said.

The new center, a 35,200 square-foot building that will be located in Triangle North business park, is scheduled to open in January 2028.

“We are extremely excited,” Tolbert said. “This is a project that has been in the making for a decade.”

Initially, the center will house the mechatronics, electronic engineering, electrical systems technology, welding and HVAC programs. There will be conference space for meetings and trainings and open labs that will serve as expansion spaces, she explained, so future programs can be brought in.

David Bullock is the department chair for Applied Technologies, and Tolbert said the program has grown under his leadership – in the past four years, in fact, enrollment is up 40 percent.

Students learn technical skills that transfer to programming, repairing and maintaining automated and robotic equipment that continue to transform manufacturing.

But don’t believe everything you hear about robots and AI taking over all the jobs that humans do, Tolbert said.

A robot doesn’t move until it’s commanded to – by a human punching in instructions with a device akin to an iPad or tablet. “These robots are here to work collaboratively,” she said, doing the hard work which frees up the humans to do other things.

“AI and robots, I promise, will not take over manufacturing,” Tolbert said. “They cannot do anything until we program them to do it.”

Not sure whether mechatronics or advanced manufacturing is something you’d be interested in or good at? Come out for a visit or take a tour at a summertime “Thursday Connect” event, Tolbert said. Tomorrow’s (6-25-26) event will be held at the Franklin Campus from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

And if you’re someone who built Lego creations when you were a child or still enjoy taking things apart, figuring out what’s wrong and putting things back together again, then Tolbert says, “mechatronics may be your jam.”

There’s plenty of time to apply, enroll and get registered for fall semester, which begins mid-August.

Visit https://www.vgcc.edu/ to learn more about programs, classes, registration and future Thursday Connect events.

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Cooperative Extension with Nitasha Kearney: Kitchen to Market

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Nitasha Kearney, on the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report:

This segment talks about a few things and events happening with Cooperative Extension’s Go For Health Programs during the summer. We also talk about the learning habits of eating healthy foods to keep you healthy physically.

Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

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TownTalk: Henderson Music & Arts Festival Recap

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Bridger Stewardson is one cool dude.

The 19-year-old just pulled off the first Henderson Music & Arts Festival in his hometown, which, from all accounts, was a great success. Hundreds of people came out to check out the lineup, which included local bands as well as other musicians and vocalists from Durham and Boston, MA.

Stewardson, who just completed his freshman at the renown Berklee School of Music in Boston, is an accomplished jazz pianist. The 2025 Vance Charter School graduate told WIZS in an earlier interview that the festival is a way for him to give back to his hometown.

He mentioned a couple of takeaways from having the first year under his belt.

One, “That I’m going to do it again next year, for sure, and every year after, hopefully,” Stewardson said on Monday’s TownTalk.

Second takeaway – he’s going to hire some more help.

He got to the site about 8:30 in the morning on Sunday, June 14 and was still there finishing up at 10 that night. In addition to setting up and making sure everything was ready for the performances, Stewardson was a great festival greeter and ambassador. And that was all before he took the stage.

“It was just great to see so many people show up,” he said. “Five, six hundred people, in and out all day…everybody smiling the whole time, dancing. It was a good day.”

People from all different ethnicities, backgrounds and ages made up the crowd, which Stewardson attributes to the music.

“It was the music that worked all that other stuff in,” he said.

Listening to live music creates a special feeling among concertgoers. “You feel like you’re almost part of it, of the moving organism that the event is based around,” he noted.

Jimmy and the Sound Barriers kicked things off, and the Westbrooks provided the intro to Bridger & Friends, which was the final group to take the stage.

“All of the groups were stellar. I couldn’t have asked for a better turnout for the music,” he said.

As he thinks about next year’s festival, Stewardson said he may consider moving the date up just a bit to avoid the heat – it was in the upper 80’s on festival day before a quick shower cooled things off a bit.

There were tents and misting fans which helped, and the breeze was “super nice” under the tents to help keep folks comfortable.

“Everybody I talked to had a great time,” Stewardson said. It was just a happy time, he said, adding that he loved seeing folks out dancing in front of the stage, smiling and talking to old friends and meeting new ones.

Bridger & Friends will be playing from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, June 25 at Tobacco Wood Brewing Co. in Oxford for the final installment of Quittin’ Time.

Then he’ll be headed off to NYC to hang out with the Parliament Funkadelic guys and the bassist for the Allman Brothers Band and Dead & Company.

All this before beginning his sophomore year.

Yep, Bridger Stewardson is one cool dude.

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Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Yellowjackets

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Wayne Rowland, on the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report:

Yellowjackets can be controlled  by using Wasp Spray after the nest has been located. The time to spray the nest is dusk to dark in the evening.

Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

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TownTalk: Mental Health Resources Available To Farmers/Public

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Even under optimal conditions, farmers face daily challenges – mending fences, managing livestock, keeping gardens picked, maintaining tractors and equipment – and that’s just for starters.

But factor in extreme circumstances like persistent drought and higher-than-normal temps, and the additional stress can compound an already stressful lifestyle that can have serious implications on their mental health.

Vance County Cooperative Extension Agent Michael Ellington and Granville Vance Public Health clinical social worker Mary Constantino shared some sobering information about national suicide rates among farmers and what family members can do if they see concerning behaviors in their loved ones.

Ellington said it’s important to be aware of how stress impacts us – farmers and others, alike. It’s all about knowing what we can do and focusing on what we can control, he said on a recent TownTalk.

Constantino, GVPH Human Services Clinical Counselor Specialist, said the national data around suicide is about 14.4 deaths per 100,000. In North Carolina, that average is 14.1. But farmers, she said, have a higher rate per 100,000 than the average population – as much as 2 to 4 times the national average.

Ellington said he’s heard different people expressing feelings of desperation, that they can see no way forward, no way out.

“This is a problem happening right now,” Ellington said, “your family, your neighbors. It’s here.”

He wants to send the message that provides a lifeline to those in distress. “Whatever problems you’re facing,” there is a way out, a way forward.

“It’s really hard to talk about feelings and things that are stressful,” Constantino said.

When things aren’t going well, it’s human nature to blame ourselves, and she said it’s also natural to think that we should be able to handle the stressful situations without help.

It may be useful to change perspective from “I should be able to handle these feelings myself” to “gosh, maybe I do need some help trying to process through some of this,” she said.

Ellington said often, a farmer’s support system includes the very ones who are dependent on him or her.

“They probably are the folks they’re worried about letting down the most,” he said.

Constantino suggests having a daily “process check” when stress levels are high. The stress is acknowledged – now what to do about it?

Sometimes, it’s helpful to just ‘vent’ to someone. That can be enough, but not always. And it’s important to know what steps to take when venting hasn’t helped.

Ellington says there’s a difference between venting and problem-solving.

“Farmers are natural problem solvers,” he said.

“Venting is when we just need to put something out there, knowing that we can’t fix it.”

The weather. The drought. That tractor part that won’t be in stock for two weeks.

Sleeping more, drinking alcohol to excess, not wanting to socialize or even get out of the bed may be signs that there’s more going on than just reacting to normal stress.

GVPH has a variety of programs that address mental health and positive outcomes, Constantino said. Crisis lines in Vance and Granville counties can provide referrals to callers who reach out about services.

Of course, if you are fearful for the safety of your loved one, you can always call the national 988 suicide hotline.

“The best place to start is to say ‘Hey, we care about you,’” Constantino said.

GVPH can help manage medications and oversee people who need mental health support. In Granville County, there are therapists who go into schools; in Vance County, it’s mostly group-focused programs.

Clinicians all operate a little bit differently, Constantino explained, but clients often find relief when what they need is support and encouragement and strategic questions about how to move forward.

Call GVPH at 919.693.2141 or visit https://gvph.org/ webs to learn more.

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