On the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report from Michael Ellington:
Today’s show covers the four most common ticks and why they’re a problem. Also included are reminders for upcoming events and deadlines.
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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Jeffrey Percy has been named Vance County’s Facilities Maintenance director, succeeding Brad Weatherington, who retired in December 2024.
Percy will begin his new job Tuesday, April 29, according to information from the office of County Manager C. Renee Perry. Percy has more than two decades of experience to the county, and has a background in electronics, project management and facility operations.
“I’m honored to serve the citizens of Vance County in this new role,” said Mr. Percy. “I look forward to using my experience to enhance our county facilities and provide safe, well-maintained environments for our employees and the public.”
Most recently, Percy worked in facilities maintenance at N.C. Specialty Hospital, where he was responsible for ensuring seamless operation and upkeep of healthcare infrastructure.
As Facilities Maintenance director, Percy will be responsible for administrative and supervisory work in planning and directing the maintenance, repair, cleaning and security of county buildings, grounds and other facilities, according to the job description.
In addition to supervising housekeeping and maintenance staff, Percy also will supervise and participate in semi-skilled level trades repairs for carpentry, plumbing and other needs by staff, as well as oversee contracted repairs. The director also oversees building security and courier services.
“We are excited to welcome Mr. Percy to our team. His broad expertise, hands-on technical knowledge, and strong project management skills make him a valuable asset to our county. We look forward to the improvements and innovation he will bring to our facilities operations,” Perry said.
Perry also stated that Percy could play a role as the county considers construction of new jail and EMS facilities.
Special Projects Coordinator Frankie Nobles had served as interim director since Weatherington’s retirement, Perry said.
A Southern Durham High School graduate, Percy earned an Associate of Science degree in Electronics from DeVry University in Atlanta. His technical career began at IBM in Research Triangle Park, where he worked in robotic and test equipment maintenance. As global manufacturing operations evolved, he transitioned into IBM’s purchasing division, where he served as a parts data analyst and Engineering Change analyzer.
Percy advanced into a leadership role with CTG as an account manager, overseeing a large team of contract employees working on-site in coordination with IBM. Later, he spent a decade as a project manager in the reconstruction industry, managing complex restoration projects with precision and efficiency.
On the Vance Cooperative Extension Report from Wayne Rowland:
Fire ants can be controlled in the landscape by using fire ant baits.
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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Local churches and interested individuals are invited to come out on Thursday, May 1 to take part in Vance County’s observance of the National Day of Prayer.
The event will take place on the football field of Vance County Middle School beginning at 6 p.m., and organizer Delilah Marrow welcomes all.
It’s not just one church participating, “we want all of the churches,” Marrow, an ordained minister, said on Monday’s TownTalk.
“Everyone is really glad that we are getting together and having a National Day of Prayer” observance, she said. It’s a time for everyone to come together to pray for the community.
“We are the body of Christ, one church – the church of Jesus Christ,” she said.
“When we pray, something happens…when we, in a city, come together we see the hand of God move. When you pray and believe God, something happens,” she said.
Marrow said the idea came to her during her daily prayers before Easter. A prayer partner provided encouragement to act on her vision, and her pastor mentioned the upcoming National Day of Prayer, observed each May 1.
“That ignited me to move forward,” she recalled. “God just laid out every piece of the puzzle (and) everything began to fall in place.”
To learn more, call Marrow at 252.422.1202.
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The 3rd annual Kittrell Tent Revival will begin a 4-night run beginning Sunday, Apr. 27, and organizers have lined up preachers and music for each night that’s sure to be inspiring.
The revival is getting bigger and better each year, and organizers are looking forward to this year’s event, which will be held at 27 W. Main St., Kittrell – just across from the Kittrell Fire Department.
As the flyer states, the revival is organized by “one group for one purpose, to lead people to Christ.”
Enjoy free hotdogs beginning at 6 p.m. on Sunday and then stay for the evening program that will feature Renita Timberlake and the Revive Church of God Choir. The revival continues through Wednesday from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Here’s the schedule for the rest of the revival:
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Despite its title, the Kerr-Tar COG’s 4th annual Young Adult Hiring Event scheduled for Tuesday, Apr. 29 at the Raleigh Road Outdoor Theatre is rated for All Audiences.
Job seekers of any age are welcome said NC Works Business Services Representative Stacey Williams, one of the job fair’s organizers.
The job fair will run from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Williams said. So far, upwards of 40 employers will be on hand to chat with prospective job seekers about careers and positions available at their companies.
The job fair geared for students began during the time of COVID-19 restrictions, Williams explained, as a way to connect high school juniors and seniors not necessarily interested in attending college with local businesses and manufacturers and other employers – in an outdoor setting.
The location proved to be popular, and this is the fourth one planned in the outdoor setting.
“It’s easy to get excited about this event,” Williams said, adding that the students bring an energy that he finds contagious.
Not everyone is looking to go to college, and this hiring event is one way the Kerr-Tar COG can assist future employees learn more about prospective employers. “We’re trying to provide alternatives to those that are not interested in college,” he said.
His #1 piece of advice to job seekers? A positive attitude.
“Your attitude will take you far,” he said. Paired with determination and drive create an employee profile that employers are looking for. “You have to show up, you have to be ready, you have to be prepared and you have to be positive,” he said.
Job seekers need to do a little interviewing of their own, Williams said, when considering a particular field of work that employers should keep in mind.
“They’re looking for something that’s going to be a solid position for them,” he said. An entry-level job that can turn into something bigger and better is desirable. Companies with strong foundations, stability and a solid pay scale also are what employees are looking for.
Williams, a Henderson native, said he is happy to be back home where he is able to serve the community he grew up in. “It’s an awesome feeling to be able to support someone find a career.
Schools from all five counties in the Kerr-Tar region are planning to bring groups of students to the hiring event; other individuals from the area are welcome to just come out to the Raleigh Road Outdoor Theatre, 336 Raleigh Rd., Henderson between 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. No prior registration is needed.
To learn more, visit https://www.kerrtarcog.org/
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City of Henderson employees will receive a survey in a few weeks to give feedback about working conditions.
As City Manager/City Attorney Hassan T. Kingsberry explained to Council members at the April 14 meeting, the survey will be anonymous – employees will not be asked to give their names. Kingsberry told Council members that some employees and some directors had shared some concerns with him, so he suggested a survey would be in order.
Kingsberry told WIZS News Wednesday that a working conditions survey is standard practice in other places where he has worked. “I want to make sure staff is comfortable and thriving as we work together for the betterment of the City.”
He said the specific statements or questions that will make up the survey are still being worked on, but he expects that department heads will receive their surveys next week and the rest of the staff will be receive theirs around the mid-May mark.
As for what actions may result, Kingsberry said, “We will see how staff responds and address the issues that need to be addressed to ensure a healthy climate and work culture.”
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The historical marker that bears his name doesn’t have room for it, but James Turner is the North Carolinian who came the closest to being President of the United States.
He only made it as far as Speaker of the House, said Mark Pace, local historian and North Carolina Room specialist at Thornton Library in Oxford. But Speaker of the U.S. House is second in line – behind the vice president – to assume the role of President if circumstances call for it.
As governor, U.S. Senator and state legislator, Turner has his own historical marker, one of 20 that can be seen along major roads throughout Warren County.
Pace and WIZS’s Bill Harris continued their discussion of historical markers in the four-county area in their tri-weekly history segment called Around Old Granville; Thursday’s segment focused on Warren County, which Pace described as one of the most important and influential areas in the state between the Revolution and the Civil War.
The first marker that went up in Warren County remembers Annie Carter Lee – the daughter of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. She and other family members had left their Virginia home because of the war and were staying at Jones Springs, a health resort. She died after contracting typhoid fever in 1862 and was buried in the Jones cemetery in Warrenton. Her remains were moved in the mid-1990’s and placed in the Lee family cemetery.
Her marker was placed in 1936, just one year after the state created the program.
Jacob Holt didn’t get a marker until 1976, Pace said.
“He was one of two really big architects in the boom era” between 1845 and 1861, Pace said.
He designed and built homes – many of which still stand. His interest lay in Greek Revival and Italianate styles, but his own home in Warrenton, Pace said is quite modest and doesn’t resemble the other examples of his work.
Find a complete list of historical markers located across the state at https://www.dncr.nc.gov/
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