Tag Archive for: #wizsnews

Cooperative Extension With Jamon Glover Supervision And Safety, Pt. 1

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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Domestic Violence Awareness Month

TownTalk: Think Community Event To Raise Awareness About Domestic Violence

There may be someone in the audience at Clearview Church on Saturday afternoon who has been a victim of domestic violence in the past; that person may be alongside someone who is trying to muster up the courage to break free from an abusive situation.

That’s exactly what Debbie Scott expects from the Think Community event that begins at 3 p.m.

Scott, a domestic violence educator with the Vance County Sheriff’s Office, has worked to organize the event, which will feature local speakers and musical talent. She wants everyone in attendance to be inspired by the musical performances and draw courage from the speakers they hear during the fifth annual event to observe October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

“It will be a great day of inspiration for victims and survivors,” Scott said on Wednesday’s TownTalk. “It’s a day of raising awareness, a day of educating our residents…of educating victims,” she said.

Besides just gathering together to provide emotional support, Scott said there will be lots of information about resources that she hopes will serve to empower people to “break the cycle, stop the violence” surrounding domestic violence and abuse.

“When people attend this event from year to year…they find the strength to do better about problem-solving,” she said, to make different decisions and change the direction their lives are taking.

In her role as advocate, Scott said she meets with individuals who come to the sheriff’s office for help. She shares the importance of having a safety plan for the individual and other family members who may be at risk. She can walk individuals through the process of getting a domestic violence protective order, for example, and other legal processes that can help.

“We’re making progress,” Scott said, with the number of calls that come in about domestic assaults or disputes. Five years ago, when the first Think Community event was held, Scott said emergency operations received 1,304 calls. Five years later, than number is down 20 percent – a total of 1,038 calls have been reported.

 

Home And Garden Show

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

  • Keep Leaves off of recently planted grass
  • Continue planting pansies.
  • Clean up your garden. Take up and clean any equipment you won’t use till next spring
  • Make sure sprayers are empty.
  • Compost your leaves this year. They are too valuable to BURN!
  • Clean up outdoor planters that will not be in use over the winter.
  • October is a great time to collect your Soil Samples when we get some rain. 2 week analysis time.
  • Don’t rush to cut back perennial flowers, especially those with dried flowers and seed heads that will feed birds through the winter.

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Vance County Logo

Vivian Lassiter Fills Role Of Emergency Operations Director

Vivian Lassiter had been serving as interim director of the county’s emergency operations since the end of May, when long-time director Brian Short retired. At the time, Short said he felt Lassiter would do a great job until a replacement was found.

Well, they found one and, as it turns out, they didn’t have to look far.

Lassiter was selected in mid-September to be the permanent director for emergency operations.

Interim County Manager Scott Elliott said the county recruited for the position over the summer. “A wide field of applicants was vetted and interviews were conducted with the top three, utilizing a formal interview panel,” Elliott said in an email late Tuesday to WIZS News. “Based on…tenure, experience, emergency management training and associated certifications, she rose to the top for this important public safety related position,” Elliott continued.

Because she had been serving as interim, Elliott predicts that citizens should see a “seamless transition” as she takes the reins.

Back in May, Lassiter and Short were guests on TownTalk, during which time the incoming interim director said Short had prepared her for the role she was embarking upon.

“Brian’s worked with me one on one…I feel as ready as anyone else. I believe I’ll do fine (but) I’ve got big shoes to fill,” Lassiter said during that May 11, 2023 interview.

VCS Students Have Day Off On Election Day – Nov. 7

With early voting underway in Henderson to determine the next mayor, Vance County Schools officials have sent out a reminder that election day – Nov. 7 – will be a day off for students, since several schools also serve as polling sites.

The Center for Innovation – the former Henderson Middle School – is one polling site, and VCS Chief Officer for Communication Aarika Sandlin said Vance County Middle School, L.B. Yancey Elementary and E.O. Young Elementary are polling sites, too. New Hope Elementary also is a polling site, but there are no elections taking place at that location this year.

Municipal elections in Kittrell and Middleburg will be held on Nov. 7, in addition to the Henderson mayoral runoff election.

Aycock Rec Center is a polling site as well.

Sandlin said VCS district leadership tries to have teacher workdays scheduled to coincide with election days when it’s possible.

And students will have a three-day week that week, since Veteran’s Day will be observed on Friday, Nov. 10.

TownTalk: Military History Show Is This Saturday

The 8th annual Military History Show will take place at the Henderson-Oxford Airport Saturday, Oct. 28 and organizer Harry Coombs said he’s looking forward to another successful event during which attendees can see military hardware up close and better understand what men and women of the military may have endured during their time in combat.

Coombs said he expects a bevy of re-enactors to be on hand for the event, which takes place on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There have been re-enactors, in full military gear, from the Revolutionary War, Civil War, World Wars I and II, among others, he said on a recent TownTalk.

“It’s the same every year,” he said, “but it’s different every year,” he added, since he doesn’t always know well ahead of time exactly who is going to show up. Proceeds benefit the Granville County Veterans Affairs Committee. The airport is located at 6514 Airport Rd., just over the Granville/Vance line.

One thing that will return, he said, is the popular silent auction. Items are available for viewing during the event, and high bidders can claim a variety of items and services.

And Total Flight Solutions is back once more to provide helicopter rides – just be prepared to pay the ticket price and wait in line, Coombs said. “It’s always very popular.”

There’s no charge for admission to the event, but there is a donation bucket for anyone inclined to “throw some money into the bucket.”

And any student who may be interested in getting some community service hours is welcome to contact Coombs – there seems always to be a need for parking attendants.

Once parked, individuals can see displays of how camps may have been set up, depending on the era in which the war took place. Tents will be set up, and there will be some equipment on display. Re-enactors are available to answer questions as well.

The yellow Navy bi-plane may be on display again this year, Coombs said. A weapons demonstration will be held – firing blanks – and there could be a couple of heavy artillery pieces as well.

So whether you’re a military history buff or want to learn more about military history, mark your calendars for Saturday, Oct. 28. It promises to be an entertaining, educational event for the whole family.

To learn more, contact 919.691.7697.

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TownTalk: Halloween Safety Tips

From tech to costumes, learn about keeping everyone safe during Halloween.

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Perry Memorial Library

The Local Skinny! Youth Events At Perry Memorial Library

It was noisy in the library the other day when the youth gathered to learn about electricity – just like Melody Peters had hoped for.

Peters, youth services director for Perry Memorial Library, said the electricity workshop was a big hit – in fact, it’s going to pick back up in January and run monthly through April.

“There’s nothing like seeing a kid’s face light up,” Peters said, when they realize what they’ve just accomplished or created.

Admittedly, it took a little time for the participants to understand some of the characteristics of energy and how energy flows, she said.

“It took a little doing,” she said, and the instructor allowed the youngsters to learn by trial and error.

“I love giving kids hands-on learning experiences,” Peters said. When something didn’t work, they had to problem-solve to make the devices they created work properly.

The electricity program, part of the library’s Life Hack series, continues for middle and high school students on the second Tuesday of the month beginning in January and continuing through April.

The third Tuesday is for Survival Skills, which currently is teaching 14 kids to crochet. The library purchased hooks for the participants to use, and the instructor donated the yarn – that was the easy part. The kids had the more difficult task of actually creating a chain of single crochet loops.

“It was hard at first, tedious,” Peters said. “Once the connection is made, then they’re off,” she said. The next gathering will take place Nov. 21, and Peters said she’ll be interested to see progress that the participants have made on their projects.

Check out www.perrylibrary.org to find out about all the programs and services the library offers.

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