Tag Archive for: #wizsnews

Cooperative Extension with Jamon Glover: Navigating the Teenage Years

Cooperative Extension

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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Home And Garden Show

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

  • The Granville-Vance-Warren Beginner Beekeepers School will have their next session on Saturday, February 15th at 9:00am at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.
  • If you have ordered your seeds, organize your seeds according to when are going to plant them.
  • Install a good thermometer for your cold frames or greenhouses. Check the temperatures of your cold frames or greenhouses if you use them. Especially if it’s 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • It is not too early to start scouting lawns for cool-season weeds.
  • This time in February, you can still continue planting trees and shrubs. Anytime that the soil is workable.
  • We are getting into seed-starting season, especially in our greenhouse or even our home. If you don’t have a good seed-starting bench, now is a good time to make one. If you have any questions about making a seed-starting bench, stop by the Vance County Cooperative Extension.
  • You need to make sure that you have a good light source for your seeds this gardening season.

The Vance County Cooperative Extension 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: Council Amends Mayor’s Office Project And Programming Budget

The Henderson City Council approved a resolution Monday that amends the Projects and Programming Budget to include $5,000 to be used by Mayor Melissa Elliott to pay for training and other programs she attends in her role as mayor.

The vote was 4-1, with Council member Sam Seifert casting the no vote. Voting in favor were Council members Michael Venable, Geraldine Champion, Ola Thorpe-Cooper and Tami Walker. Council members Sara Coffey, Garry Daeke and Lamont Noel were absent.

“We’re not asking for more money,” City Manager/City Attorney Hassan T. Kingsberry explained during the meeting, “we’re asking for the purpose to be expanded.”

Champion and Thorpe-Cooper both expressed support and said in the meeting that Elliott shouldn’t have to pay out-of-pocket for the various trainings she attends in her role as mayor.

“I see it as being unfair for her to have to come out of pocket…for training for the city,” Champion said.

Thorpe-Cooper agreed, adding that the trainings are beneficial. “We’re being taught – we’re being trained – so we can better serve. I am all in favor of it.”

Given the fact that the city has instituted a hiring freeze – an indication that revenues are not flowing in as predicted at this point – Seifert said he would prefer that the city consider using “fiscal constraint” at least while the hiring freeze is in effect.

He suggested that the city “keep the scope narrow as it was defined so that we show our part in keeping expenses down…while we’re under a freeze.”

According to the resolution presented to Council on Monday, the $5,000 is “subject to the fiscal controls and standard operating procedures currently in place and administered through the City’s Finance Department.”

The resolution further explains that Elliott has created several ad hoc committees created to help the city’s elected officials better understand the community with its diverse needs and desire for inclusivity, and that there needs to be a “nominal” budget to cover reasonable and justifiable expenses that arise with those committees and other special projects, continuing education, conferences, seminars and other programs.

Any expenditure would require approval by the city manager.

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TownTalk: City Council Removes Daeke As Mayor Pro Tem, Replaces Him With Michael Venable

The Henderson City Council on Monday voted to remove Council Member Garry Daeke as mayor pro tem and replace him with Council Member Michael Venable.

Daeke was not present at the meeting but told WIZS News Tuesday afternoon that he was not totally surprised by the decision.

“We saw this coming a month or so ago,” Daeke said, referring to the Council’s December meeting when Council member Geraldine Champion inquired about appointing a new mayor pro tem. “I had thought it was going to happen at some point, but I didn’t particularly know it would be last night,” he said.

“Childish shenanigans is what I’d call it,” he said. He said he had no idea why the change was made, in the middle of what normally is a two-year appointment, but said the Council needs to be talking about infrastructure, roads, water system and other matters that will help city residents.

“When you don’t know why it’s being done, you try to figure out what’s the reason behind it,” Daeke mused. “I don’t see any logic behind it – I see emotion or something else.” He described himself as someone who likes to have information before making decisions and not someone who automatically agrees with everything being said. “I like information and like to know both sides of the issue and I like to make my decisions based on informed information,” he said. “And I don’t think that’s appreciated.”

The mayor pro tem’s role is to fill in for the mayor when needed. And Daeke said he had only been called on a couple of times to fill in for Mayor Melissa Elliott, which he did.

“I wasn’t being utilized…for whatever reason,” he said. “You’re only utilized when you’re called to be utilized.”

Monday’s vote was 4-1, with Council Member Sam Seifert casting the no vote on the motion to make Venable the mayor pro tem, which was made by Council Member Geraldine Champion and seconded by Council Member Tami Walker. Champion, Walker, Venable and Council Member Ola Thorpe-Cooper voted in favor of the motion.

In addition to Daeke, also absent were Council Members Sara Coffey and Lamont Noel.

The vote took place after the council returned to the open meeting following a closed session to discuss a lawsuit, but it was not listed on the agenda as an item for discussion. Neither was that portion of the meeting available via livestream as the first part of the meeting; according to City Clerk Tracey Kimbrell, the IT person left the meeting after the council went into closed session.

City Manager/City Attorney Hassan T. Kingsberry told WIZS News Tuesday that he was “unaware that the Council would be removing Councilman Daeke yesterday,” and added that he had no other details than what was provided in the meeting.

According to information from the UNC School of Government, councils must choose a mayor pro tem at the organizational meeting, but it also can choose – with or without cause – to “vote to remove the MPT at any time, and appoint a new one.”

There was no discussion following the motion and the second before the vote was called.

WIZS News has reached out to Venable, Champion and Elliott for comment, but have not heard back as of 4 p.m. Tuesday.

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Cooperative Extension With Michael Ellington: Egg Prices and Backyard Poultry

Michael Ellington with Vance County Cooperative Extension examines a few factors driving egg prices and growing interest in backyard poultry. Also covered are reminders for three upcoming events including a series designed to help potential market vendors.

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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The Local Skinny! Tommy Farmer Recognized By The NC Association Of Soil & Water Conservation

Tommy Farmer has been a member of the local soil and water conservation district for 30 years – he was recently recognized for his decades of service at the annual statewide meeting in Durham.

“Time has really flown by fast,” Farmer said on Monday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

As the name implies, a local conservation district helps county residents conserve soil and water – whether that’s by helping to create management plans or helping defray costs of practices that are good for land and water.

“Farmland is disappearing,” Farmer said, which has a direct impact on crop and food production. “Without the soil, we don’t eat,” he said.

The conservation district supports local farmers who may want to plant cover crops – to help keep the soil in place between food crops, create field borders and even pond development or cleanouts.

Farmer, who is the group’s vice-chair, said the conservation district is interested in making sure the soil is in good shape for future crop production and make sure the water supply is suitable for use by farms as well as for drinking.

Vance County is one of 11 counties that comprise District 4 of the statewide conservation group. Franklin and Wake counties also are in District 4, and Farmer said all it takes is a drive along Capital Boulevard to see the burgeoning commercial and residential growth happening there, and you can’t help but think about the additional demands placed on the local water supply.

District 4 doesn’t usually have to deal with issues that other districts face – flooding, for example. “We’re in a good situation here,” he said.

There’s an opening on the local district board, and Farmer said they’ve got their eye on one individual who may be appointed to fill an unexpired term.

Visit www.vancecounty.org and click on Departments to learn more about the programs and services of the soil and water conservation district.

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TownTalk: Carolina Peanut Factory, Deli Rekindle Local Retail Outlet Following Fire

Carol Monahan said she and husband John thought they were going to have a peanut store with a little deli on the side, but the way things are going, it’s the other way around – the Deli has been open for about six months and Carol said they’ve been thrilled with the response from the community and beyond.

The Monahans opened The Peanut Roaster on Zeb Robinson Road in 1995 and for years sold gourmet nut products – including those famous super, extra-large peanuts – at the store in Henderson and online.

After a brief stint in “retirement,” the Monahans are back in their Zeb Robinson Road location, creating those tins of delicious nuts again. But this go-round, customers can order specialty sandwiches, soups and breakfast items from the deli.

The building was significantly damaged in a fire several years ago, and Carol said it was their son, Josh, who spurred them back into business.

“We need to be in the peanut business again,” she remembered him saying to his parents soon after the fire.

And, so, after a couple of years of reconstruction and remodeling, the store – almost called “Phoenix” because it rose from the proverbial ashes – is known as The Carolina Peanut Factory.

After the Monahans retired from The Peanut Roaster business, they pivoted to help son Josh with his own business, the Carolina Kettle potato chip brand.

The Carolina Peanut Factory is a “comeback” of sorts for Carol and John. “We started helping our son with the potato chips – he was our boss,” Carol said.

After the fire, they began to think about reimagining the space. They wanted a spot where they could showcase those crunchy, delicious peanuts but they also wanted a spot where folks could sit for a while, bring the whole family and enjoy an array of specialty, handcrafted sandwiches.

“We wanted it to be an experience,” she said. “That’s really what we were looking for.”

Stop by the store and check out special treats especially for Valentine’s Day – that’s this Friday, for you procrastinators – there are big, heart-shaped decorated cookies and chocolate-dipped strawberries (pre-sold only) alongside those tins of gourmet nuts.

Right now, the store is observing winter hours of operation 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Visit ncpeanutfactory.com to see the deli menu, sandwich selections and more.

What you won’t find on the menu is fries.

“We have the best potato chips around,” Carol said. Josh’s Carolina Kettle chips. Choose from 11 flavors.

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(This is not a paid ad. However, The Carolina Peanut Factory is a sponsor on WIZS Radio.)